PART I : How do we measure reality?
PART I of the course revolves around Euclidean geometry,
a major scientific achievement. The course explores the links the
concepts of fate, necessity, order, justice and rationality in Ancient
Greek religion, drama, law, music, architecture and philosophy and
Euclidean geometry. It also shows the effects, strengths and limitations
of the Euclidean axiomatic-deductive-model for later concepts of
human knowledge.
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Jan 16
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Course Introduction. Connections to other Core courses.
Reading of "The Allegory of the Cave" and large group discussion
relating the Allegory to the nature of the search for human knowledge.
Mythological and Thematic contextof The Oresteia. Assignment:
Read Agamemnon, pp. 99-172.
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Jan 18
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Social Function of Greek Theater (Video Excerpts)
Taboo and the Blood Curse. Assignment: Read The
Libation Bearers , pp. 173-226.
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Jan 23
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Video excerpt. Idea of order in Ancient Greece.
Expressions of Math and Order. Assignment: Read
The Eumenides , pp. 227-277.
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Jan 25
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Finish Oresteia. Introduction to The Republic
. Assignment: Read The Republic, pp.1-66 (look for - definitions
of justice; the soul, its care and feeding).
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Jan 30
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Grounds of Justice. Small group exercises
Assignment: Read The Republic, pp. 66-118; 144-155.
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Feb 1
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Education in the Republic and the position of women.
Preview of the virtues of the soul and society, Assignment: Read
The Republic , pp. 119-143; 193-220.
Essay I Assigned.
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Tue Feb 6
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Good, Ideals of Knowledge. Preview forms.,
Assignment, Read Republic pp. 221-255.
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Thu Feb 8
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Mathematics and Immortality in The Republic. Pythagoreanism.
Assignment:Read Republic, pp. 348-359.
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Tue Feb 13
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Essay I Due. Myth of Er. Euclid and
his geometry. Axiomatic method. Aristotle's method, legacy
of deductive method. Assignment: prepare for first exam
.
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Thu Feb 15
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First exam
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PART II: Demystifying Nature and Nature's
God
In PART II of the course, the scientific development
of and cultural response to Newtonian mechanics will allow participants
to observe how a conceptual shift in scientific thought diffuses
throughout society. Focus is on
- the existing paradigm of motion;
- the revolutionary era through which the new paradigm
is introduced;
- the nature of the Newtonian synthesis;and
- the influence of the new understanding in creating
new ways of looking at all of life in a rational manner (the
Enlightenment).
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Tue Feb 20
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Introduction to PART II. Video: Science Revises the Heavens.
The nature of scientific revolution; the Aristotelian paradigm of
terrestrial motion; the Ptolemaic paradigm of celestial motion.
Assignment: Read "Pre-Newtonian Astronomy" by R. Rittenhouse
and "Summary of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions"
(in course readings booklet)
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Thu Feb 22
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Video: Realms of Light. Historical Background
of Early Astronomers. New Theories of Terrestrial and Celestial Motion.
Assignment: Read Newton's preface to the Principia
(in course readings booklet).
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Tue Feb 27
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Small group exercises over the Renaissance. Video: The
Early Renaissance and the High Renaissance. Assignment:
Read Voyage 3 of Gulliver's Travels
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Thu Mar 1
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Newtonian synthesis. Newton, Travel, Colonialism,
and Gulliver's Travels. John Law and the cultural assimilation
of Newton. Assignment: Read Voyage 4 of GT
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Tue Mar 6
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Human Knowledge/Human Nature: Book IV of GT. Small
group exercises. Essay 2 Assigned. Assignment: Read
Frankenstein, pages tba
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Thu Mar 8
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Deism. Industrial Revolution. Read Frankenstein,
pages tba
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Tue Mar 20
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Small Group Exercises. Mysteries of Science: Introduction
to Romanticism. Read Frankenstein, pages tba.
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Thu Mar 22
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Video: Age of Reason. Political Revolution.
Discuss Frankenstein and compare Gulliver with Frankenstein.
Essay 2 due. Assignment:Study for exam.
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Tue Mar 27
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Examination on Unit II.
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PART III: All in the Family? Tangled Genealogies of Religion
and Science:
Participants will investigate how the scientific and non-scientific
community appropriated Darwin's theory of speciation, by examining:
- the social and scientific context of the 19
th century;
- pre-Darwinian theories of evolution;
- Darwin's Origin of Species;
- and the continuing impact and influence of evolutionary
concepts of speciation.
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Thu Mar 29
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Video: Inherit the Wind. Assignment: Read
Origin, pp. 53-100.
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Tue Apr 3
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Video: Inherit the Wind. Assignment: Read
Origin, pp. 101-129.
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Thu Apr 5
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Pre-Darwinian Concepts of Speciation. Discussion of
Origin. Video: Darwin's Revolution--Fit to Rule: Part I.
Assignment: read Origin pp. 130-172.
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Tue Apr 10
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Video: Darwin's Revolution--Fit to Rule: Part
II. Assignment: Read Origin, pp. 435-460
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Thu Apr 12
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Video: Beyond Genesis. Application / Misapplication
of Darwinism. Social Darwinism. Assignment: Read
Galileo.
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Tue Apr 17
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Galileo Discussion. Introduce Brave New World
Assignment: Read Brave New World, pp. 1-95.
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Thu Apr 19
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The Human Genome Project. Assignment:
Read BNW, 95-189.
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Tue Apr 24
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Discussion of BNW. Video: The Secret of
Life. Assignment: Finish BNW. Essay III
Assigned.
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Thu Apr 27
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Future implications of BNW. Start
Gattaca.
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Tues May 1
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Finish Gattaca.
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Thu May 3
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Return to the Cave. Loose ends. Course critique. Review
for final examination. Essay III Due.
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Tue May 8
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DEAD DAY
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Thu May 10, 1:00-3:00
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FINAL EXAMINATIONS
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