Historiography, theory, & interpretation? But why old books and mainly dead historians talking between the 'Scientific Revolution' and the newly emerging 'early modern science'?" There is, understandably,
some history involved in arriving at a satisfying
response. Although a long history might be told, the social part of the
answer began to take shape shortly after WWII (in the middle of the
last century). It was then that the historian Herbert Butterfield put
forward his much-quoted claim that the emergence of modern science between
1450 and 1700 "outshines everything since the rise of Christianity and
reduces the Renaissance and Reformation to the rank of mere episodes,
mere internal displacements, within the system of medieval Christendom."
According to this tradition, the Scientific Revolution was a watershed
in Western thought, culture, civilization {more recently, the birth
mark of imperial dominance} that challenged Christian revelations, altered
the world view of philosophers, permeated university curricula, established
new literary genres, and suggested new approaches for economic, political,
and social theorists. Thanks in large measure to Butterfield, 'Science'
soon became synonymous with 'Modern' and 'Western'. And so, until quite
recently, the Scientific Revolution, as a periodization, was the acknowledged
origin and essence -- the likely father and firm foundation -- of Enlightenment.
Now there are claims that this once proud periodization is not only
'Dead' (neither resurrected nor resuscitated) it stalks the twilight
as the 'Living Dead'. Understanding the apparent demise (founded or
deadly exagerrated) is one of our main objectives. In this pursuit,
we survey the underpinnings of similar 'Not-Grand Theorical' claims
to more humble primary texts. Many of our primary
sources have never been cited by historians or other scholars.
Traditionally associated with
an elite litany -- beginning with Canon Copernicus and resonating through
Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, and Newton -- the Scientific Revolution
is here honored as each major figure is addressed in full historical
and historiographical context. But clearly the status of each--like
the periodization itself--has shifted across chronological, geographic,
thematic, and methodological boundaries. In this Seminar we focus
on these changes. We have two objectives. First, to identify critical
issues (involving specific writings, activities, and practices) in
the context of early modern life as identified in primary readings.
Second, and perhaps decidedly more challenging, we examine the assumptions
and interpretations of these issues as presented and interpreted by
early writers and more recent historians of the 'Scientific Revolution.'
To that end, Seminar participants
will write and defend a critical essay, based on primary sources, that assess a noted historical interpretation ('school' or 'tradition' or 'genre')
focused on the 'Scientific Revolution' or 'early modern science'. The objective of the essay is to
test the relation between an interpretive tradition (e.g., 'Internalist'
or 'Externalist' or post-Modern) by using fresh primary materials.
Full particulars of the essay will be outlined and discussed in seminar.
In addition to the critical
essay, participants are expected to take an active and appropriate part in Seminar
discussions, and to present their seminar research to a critical audience.
Each of these requirements is built into the Seminar schedule.
Office hours
for Professor Hatch are Thursday, 3.00-4.00pm; 5.00-7.00pm, and by appointment, 226
Keene-Flint Hall. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage
of Office Hours. Telephone: 392.0271 (24h machine); E-Mail: ufhatch@ufl.edu.
I will also establish a 'Sci-Rev ListServe' which will include all Seminar
Participants. Other required materials can be found at my WebSite:
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/rhatch/pages
Required Reading is from the
following works & electronic WebSites:
Cohen, H. Floris. The Scientific Revolution: A
historiographical inquiry (Chicago 1994). Participants will select either Burtt or Butterfield to prepare for seminar discussion and for their weekly Seminar Critique.
Thereafter, the structure of the seminar will be based on sub-groups working cooperatively in Reading Pods. To be clear, participants will elect to participate in two Seminar Reading Pods, the first Reading Pod focused on secondary source readings, the second Reading Pod focused on primary source readings. Reading Pods are nothing more than seminar sub-groups responsible for identifying a coherent group of readings in specified historiographic periodizations (see below). Each Reading Pod Group will be responsible for identifying readings for the entire group and for leading seminar discussion of their selected readings.
In broad outline, after addressing shared readings in Weeks 1-3, the seminar will shift focus to secondary sources (articles, monographs, and books) identified and divided below into four Secondary Reading Pods (Weeks 4-7). Following Spring Break, the seminar will shift focus to primary sources (whether printed or electronic) identified and divided below into three Primary Reading Pods (Weeks 10-12). Details will be discussed in seminar. Selection of sources for each Reading Pod will be a sub-group exercise . Guided by the instructor, the exercise will require mastery of basic bibliographic and historiographic traditions and, more importantly, critical discussion and clear justification for selections. Participants are encouraged to consider their reading options now, and to begin consultation with the instructor and other seminar members, this by office conference, personal contact, and by email. Identifying , justifying, and communicating source materials will a key feature of the seminar. It will require critical thought, good communication, and group cooperation.
Following the seminar Primary Reading Pods, time is schedule for research, individual conferences, and final presentation and defense of individual seminar essays. Each participant will present and defend their seminar essay; each participant will serve as Peer Reader for a fellow participant. All seminar essays will be distributed to all seminar members, and all members will read and discuss each essay in critical seminar format.
This Seminar
takes full advantage of the extraordinary
primary source materials now available on the WWW, most notably English
Books On-Line (EEBO) and
the astonishing French site, GALLICA.
Other electronic sites will also be provided. To begin, participants
are encouraged to spend time at my 'Search
Site' to become familiar with related Library Resources, Search
Engines, and Primary Source Sites. I also ask participants to consider
developing their research and their essay in such a way that it might
be included on the Department of History website as a 'Department
Project'. Further particulars will be discussed in seminar.
Books & Journals
Early English Books On-Line (EEBO)
- {Virtually everything published in English to 1700}
Gallica {Extraordinary site,
thousands of titles, e.g., the PT of the Royal Society; Journal des
Scavans}; English
Intro.
ABU - Bibliothèque Universelle - Books - French
Classics {Provided here as one example of many others}, etc.
Journals
JSTOR -
{Includes journals of historical interest, including searchable PT
of the Royal Society, 1664 - }
Deutschen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (1700-1900) {DAWB}
The Bodlean Library - Oxford - includes many journals of historical
interest on-line {Bodlean},
etc.
NB: Some files are in PDF format; Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 is available
free of charge: Acrobat
5
Other Recommended & Recent Evaluations:
Applebaum, Wilbur. The Scientific Revolution:
An Encyclopedia. (Garland 2000).
Biagioli, Mario. Galileo, Courtier: The Practice of Science
in the Culture of Absolutism {Chicago 1993}.
Bouwsma, William J. The Waning of the Renaissance, 1550-1640.
(Yale 2000).
Burtt, Edwin A. The metaphysical foundations of modern physical
science.
Butterfield, Herbert, Sir. The origins of modern science.
Cook, Alan. Edmond Halley: Charting the Heavens and the Seas.
(Oxford, 1998).
Dear, Peter. Mersenne & the learning of the schools.
Dear, Peter. Revolutionizing the Sciences: European Knowledge
and Its Ambitions, 1500-1700. (Princeton 2001).
Dear, Peter (ed.). The Scientific Revolution in Early Modern Europe:
Readings from Isis. (Chicago 1997).
Hall, A. Rupert. Isaac Newton, Adventurer in Thought. (Blackwell
1992).
Henry, John, The Scientific Revolution & the Origins of Modern
Science.
Israel, Jonathan I. Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and
the Making of Modernity, 1650-1750. (Oxford 2001).
Jardine, Lisa, Ingenious Pursuits: Building the Scientific Revolution
(Doubleday, 1999).
Johns, Adrian. The Nature of the Book: Print and Knowledge in the
Making (Chicago, 1998).
Joy, Lynn. Gassendi, atomist. (Cambridge U Press).
Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
Lindberg, David C. and Robert S. Westman. Reappraisals of the
Scientific Revolution
Miller, Peter. Peiresc's Europe: Learning & Virtue
in the Seventeenth Century.
Osler, Margaret J. Rethinking the Scientific Revolution.
(Cambridge 2000).
Povey, Mary. A History of the Modern Fact : Problems of Knowledge
in the Sciences of wealth and Society (Chicago 1998).
Shama, Simon. Rembrandt's Eyes. (Knopf, New York, 1999).
Shapin, S. & Schaffer, S. Leviathan & the air-pump: Hobbes,
Boyle, and the experimental life. (Princeton 1985).
Shapin, Steven. The Scientific Revolution. (Chicago, 1998).
Shapin, Steven. A Social History of Truth: Civility and Science
in Seventeenth-Century England {Chicago 1994}
Shapir, Barbara. A Culture of Fact: England, 1550-1720.S
(Cornell 2000)
Sobel, Dava. Galileo's Daughter. (Walker & Company, New York,
1999).
Sturdy, David J. Science and Social Status: The Members of the
Académie des Sciences, 1666-1750. (Boydell 1995).
Wellman, Kathleen. Making Science Social: The Conferences of Theophraste Renaudot, 1633-1642. (U. Oklahoma Press 2003)
etc. NB: Other titles will be suggested and discussed in Seminar.
Other
Recommended Books at the Library:
Armitage,
Angus. The World of Copernicus
Basalla,
George. The Emergence of Modern Science
Biagioli,
Mario. Galileo, Courtier
Bullough,
Vern. The Scientific Revolution
Caspar,
Max. Kepler (trans. C. D. Hellman)
Copernicus,
Nicholas. Three Copernican Treatises
-----.
De Revolutionibus (Duncan or Rosen)
Dear,
Peter. Mersenne & the Learning of the Schools
Descartes,
René. Le Monde: The World (M.S. Mahoney)
-----.
The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, 2 vols (Cottingham
et al.)
-----.
The Principles of Philosophy (V.R. Miller & R.P. Miller)
-----.
Treatise of Man (T.S. Hall)
Drake,
Stillman. Galileo at Work
Dreyer,
J. L. E. A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler
Galilei,
Galileo. Discoveries and Opinions (Ed. & Trans. S. Drake)
-----.
Dialogue on the Two Chief Systems of the World (Ed. &
Trans. S. Drake)
-----.
Sidereus Nuncius (Ed. & Trans. A. Van Helden)
-----.
Two New Sciences (Ed. & Trans. S. Drake)
Geymonat,
Ludovico. Galileo Galilei (Ed. & Trans. Stillman Drake)
Jacob,
Margaret. The Cultural Meaning of the Scientific Revolution
Joy,
Lynn. Gassendi, Atomist
Kearney,
Hugh F., ed. Origins of the Scientific Revolution
Kepler,
Johannes. Mysterium Cosmographicum (A.M. Duncan)
Kuhn,
Thomas. The Copernican Revolution
Langford,
Jerome. Galileo, Science and the Church
Lindberg,
David C. Theories of Vision from al-Kindi to Kepler
Manuel,
Frank. A Portrait of Isaac Newton
Newton,
Isaac. The Opticks
-----.
The Principia
-----.
Newton's Philosophy of Nature (Ed. H.S. Thayer, op)
-----.
Newton: Texts, Backgrounds, Commentaries (I.B.Cohen &
R.S. Westfall)
Redondi,
Pietro. Galileo: Heretic (Trans. R. Rosenthal)
Shapin,
Steve. A Social History of Truth
Thoren,
Victor E. The Lord of Uraniborg: A Biography of Tycho Brahe
Westfall,
Richard S. Never at Rest: A Biography of Isaac Newton
Please consult the prepared bibliography
for recent works.
Evaluation:
All required work is announced on this syllabus. Since
a schedule is now available, arrangements for late work must be made
in advance. Evaluation takes five forms:
1. Comprehension of assigned readings, lectures, and
discussions
2. Attendance regular
and appropriate participation in Seminar discussion is mandatory {25%}
3. Written critiques & oral analysis of
shared readings; Discussion Leader {25%}
4. Seminar Essay & Oral Presentation & Defense: Schedule
follows {50%}
5. Please note in advance that participants
may be required to assume the expense of some photocopy costs for
articles and for reproducing their research essay for Seminar members; particulars and options will be discussed in Seminar.
Required Readings available
at:
Gator
Textbooks, Creekside Mall, 3501 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite D: 374.4500.
For further information please see their WebSite: http://www.gatortextbooks.com
For a start on Secondary Sources, see: Hatch: Scientific Revolution: Secondary Sources
For a start on Primary Sources, see: Hatch: Scientific Revolution: Primary Sources
For background
See Hatch: Reading
Primary Sources
PART
I: The Scientific Revolution:
Background & Issues
WEEK
I: 6 January
Th: E1-E3 Plotting Our Course
Readings:
Review all course materials;
Review Required Texts and WebSite; Begin & Complete Cohen for seminar discussion next week together with first Critique {restricted chpts & pages to be sent by ListServe}.
General
Discussion Topic:
Defining issues:
Periodizations & Concepts, Actions & Events: A Role for Historiography.
WEEK
II: 13 January
Th: E1-E3: Historiography of the Scientific Revolution
Readings:
Discuss Cohen
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK
III: 20 January
Th: E1-E3: The Grand Tradition & The Triumphal March: Burtt & Butterfield
Readings:
Seminar Discussion:
Discussion
Leaders: E.A. Burtt :
1.
2.
Discussion Leaders: H.J. Butterfield:
1.
2.
WEEK
IV: 27 January
Th: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Critical Readings: Pod One (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings):
The Copernican Revolution & Renaissance Science Revisited
Readings:
Seminar Discussion:
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK V: 3 February
Th: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Critical Readings: Pod Two: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings):
The Galilean Revolution: Mathematics & Metaphysics, Science & Religion Et Cetera Revisited
Readings:
Seminar Discussion:
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK
VI: 10 February
Th: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Critical Readings: Pod Three: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings):
The Cartesian Synthesis: Descartes vs. Bacon, Deductive-Inductive, Descartes-Gassendi, et alia
Readings: Seminar Discussion:
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK
VII: 17 February
Th: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Critical Readings: Pod Four: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings):
The Newtonian Synthesis: Post-Keplerian & Pre-Newtonian; Natural Philosophy-Natural Religion; Science, Alchemy, Chronology; Post-Newtonian Radicals & Enlightenment, ad infinitum
Readings: Seminar Discussion:
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
PART
II: The Scientific Revolution:
Primary Sources
WEEK
VIII: 24 February : Symposium, 24 -26 February:
'Between Renaissance & Enlightenment:
The Scientific Revolution, early modern science'
WEEK
IX: 3 March: Spring Break
Reading:
Continue Reading & Research
WEEK
X: 10 March
Th: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Primary Sources: Pod One: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings)
Reading:
Continue
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK
XI: 17 March
Thursday: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Primary Sources: Pod Two: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings)
Reading:
Continue
Discussion
Leaders:
1.
2.
WEEK
XII: 24 March
Thursday: E1-E3: Sci-Rev Primary Sources: Pod Three: (Pod Group to Formulate & Coordinate Readings)
XIII:
31 March
Th: E1-E3: Individual Meetings with Professor
Hatch [Thursday]
WEEK
XIV: 7 April
Individual Meetings with Professor Hatch
[Thursday]
PART
III: The Scientific Revolution:
Seminar Presentations
WEEK
XV: 14 April: NB: Essays Due Sunday 10 April 12.00 Noon
Th: E1-E3 Essay
Presentation & Defense:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
WEEK XVI: 21 April: [NB: Seminar will meet]; Essays Due Sunday 17 April 12.00 Noon
Th: E1-E3 - Essay
Presentation & Defense:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * **
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Nota
Bene:
Seminar Essays due
in final form on day of presentation.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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