Social and cultural aspects of science -- but -- "Why the 'Scientific Revolution'--or for that matter, 'early modern science'?" There is, understandably, some history involved in arriving at an answer, or at least a satisfying response. Although a long history can 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. Understanding the various 'projects' (or sundry 'projections') is one of our main objectives.

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 the fullest possible historiographical context. But clearly the status of each--like the periodization itself--has shifted historiographically 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 scientific writings, activities, and practices) in the context of early modern life as identified in primary readings and research. 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 historiographic essay. This essay will focus on clearly defined issues of historical interpretation related to a clearly defined 'school' or 'tradition' or 'genre' of historical writing that concerns the 'Scientific Revolution' and its most recent sibling, which is widely known, somewhat anemically, as 'early modern science'. The objective of the essay is to test the relation between at least two relevant but clearly conflicting historiographic interpretations of the 'same' event. Full particulars of the essay will be provided and discussed in class.

In addition to the critical historiographic essay, participants will take an active part in Seminar discussions and present their preliminary research to a critical audience. Each of these requirements is built into the Seminar schedule.

Required Reading is taken from the following works:

Hatch, Robert A. The Scientific Revolution: Historiographic Readings.

Biagioli, Mario. Galileo, Courtier: The Practice of Science in the Culture of Absolutism {Chicago 1993}.
Burtt, Edwin A. The metaphysical foundations of modern physical science. Butterfield, Herbert, Sir. The origins of modern science.
Cohen, H. Floris. The Scientific Revolution: A historiographical inquiry (Chicago 1994).
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).
Shapin, S. & Schaffer, S. Leviathan & the air-pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the experimental life. (Princeton 1985).

Cook, Alan. Edmond Halley: Charting the Heavens and the Seas. (Oxford, 1998).
Dear, Peter. Mersenne & the learning of the schools.
Henry, John, The Scientific Revolution & the Origins of Modern Science
Joy, Lynn. Gassendi, atomist. (Cambridge U Press).
Kuhn, Thomas S. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.
L indberg, David C. and Robert S. Westman. Reappraisals of the Scientific Revolution
Povey, Mary. A History of the Modern Fact : Problems of Knowledge in the Sciences of wealth and Society (University of Chicago Press, 1998).
Shama, Simon. Rembrandt's Eyes. (Knopf, New York, 1999).
Shapin, Steven. The Scientific Revolution. (Chicago, 1998).
Shapin, Steven. A Social History of Truth: Civility and Science in Seventeenth-Century England {Chicago 1994}
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 Press, 1995.
etc. NB: Other titles will be suggested and discussed in Seminar.

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.

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 is strictly mandatory as is regular and appropriate participation in Seminar discussion {25%}
3. Written critiques & oral analysis of shared readings; Discussion Leader {25%}
4. Seminar Essay & Oral Presentation: Schedule follows {50%}
5. Please note in advance that participants will be required to assume the expense of some photocopy costs for articles and for reproducing their research essay for Seminar members.

WEEK I: 24 August

Th: E1-E3 Plotting Our Course

Readings: Review all course materials;

Begin & Complete E.A. Burtt, The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern Physical Science.

General Discussion Topic:

You say you want a revolution? Defining the issues: Periodization; Concepts; Events

WEEK II: 31 August

Th: E1-E3 Grand Narratives; Key Concepts; Historiographic Themes

Readings: Discuss Burtt; Begin & Complete H. Butterfield, The Origins of modern science.

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK III: 7 September

Th: E1-E3 Understanding Science; Using & Interpreting History; What's Culture?

Readings: Discuss Butterfield; Begin and Complete Shapin & Schaffer.

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK IV: 14 September

Th: E1-E3 Historiographic Issues; Ideology; Cause & Action; Motivation, Intent

Readings: Discuss Shapin & Schaffer; Begin and Complete Biagioli or Jardine.

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK V: 21 September

Th: E1-E3 Historiographic Issues, Philosophical Positions

Readings: Discuss Biagioli and Jardine; Begin Cohen, The Scientific Revolution: An Historiographic inquiry (pages will be given in class).

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK VI: 28 September

Th: E1-E3 Deeper Issues of Epistemology & Political Ideology:

Historiographic Traditions Synthesized: Kuhn

Readings: Discuss Cohen; Begin and Complete Adrian Johns.

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK VII: 5 October

Th: E1-E3 Positivism & Whig History:

Doing Science, Philosophy & History

Readings: Discuss Adrian Johns; Begin Historiographic Reader

Discussion Leaders:

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Th: E1-E3 Science, Religion, Faith - {Some Internal vs. External}

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK IX: 19 October

Th: E1-E3 Internal & External: Idealism & 'Materialism'

{Reasons & Causes :: Actions & Events}

Reading: Continue Historiography Reader

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK X: 26 October

Th: E1-E3 Scientific Revolution:

A place for sociology & anthropology?

Reading: Continue Historiography Reader

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK XI: 2 November

More on Individuals & Groups; Motivation, Intent; Other Social Weasel Words

Other Trends in Writing History: Is the Scientific Revolution A Paradigm Lost?

Reading: Continue Historiography Reader

Discussion Leaders:

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WEEK XII: 9 November

Th: E1-E3 No Class: Individual Research

XIII: 16 November

Th: E1-E3 No Class: Individual Meetings with Professor Hatch

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WEEK XIV: 23 November

Th: E1-E3 No Class: Thanksgiving Holiday - Continue, Individual Meetings with Professor Hatch [Tuesday]

Seminar Members

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WEEK XV: 30 November

Th: E1-E3 Essay Presentation & Defense:

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WEEK XVI: 7 December [Classes End 6 December]

Th: E1-E3 - No Formal Class

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