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Class number:
2240
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Title: Science,Religion&Nature |
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Department: History |
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Career: Undergraduate |
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Component: Lecture |
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Session: Regular |
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Instructor's Permission Required: No |
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Grading Basis: Regular |
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Units: 1.00 |
| Enrollment limited to 35 |
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Current enrollment: 36 |
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Available seats: 0 |
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Start date: Monday, January 22, 2024 |
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End date: Friday, May 10, 2024 |
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Mode of Instruction: In Person |
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Schedule: TR: 10:50AM-12:05PM, AAC - 320 |
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Instructor(s): Cocco, Sean |
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Prerequisite(s): None |
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Distribution Requirement: Meets Humanities Requirement |
Course Description:
The astronomer Galileo Galilei’s trial before the Roman Inquisition nearly four centuries ago endures as a symbol of the clash between science and religion. Undoubtedly, the rise of early modern science in 17th-century Europe provoked its share of battles, but was this the whole story? This course will lead students to consider the origin and extent of the apparently irreconcilable differences between world views. How wide was the rift between science and religion, especially before the Enlightenment? Students will be encouraged to explore this complex relationship in historical context, by weighing the coexistence of scientific curiosity and intense faith, and also by considering the religious response to the expanding horizons of knowledge. The course will highlight investigations of the heavens and the earth, thus seeking instructive comparisons between disciplines such as astronomy, botany, and geology. A number of broad themes will be the focus. These include the understanding of God and nature, authority (classical and scriptural) versus observation, the wide range of knowledge-making practices, the place of magic, and finally the influence of power and patronage. The class seeks to present a rich and exciting picture, looking forward as well to the influence of rational thinking and scientific inquiry on the making of modernity. |