探索科學II:從前現代到現代科學
Exploring History of Science. Part 2: From pre-modern to modern science
| 節 | 週四 |
|---|---|
5 13:20–14:10 | 探索科學II:從前現代到現代科學 A401 2 節連堂 |
6 14:20–15:10 |
* 根據陽明交大上課時間表所列
Modern culture is a culture of science. Modern science is the outcome of a historical process of more than 4000 years. It is often presented as progressive historical product where science evolves following improvements and revolutionary ideas made by genius. In this course we will see that things are different. We will follow several disciplines, namely astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology and we will investigate texts and materials from various centuries. We will see how scientists struggled with mistakes, old and new concepts, unsufficient experiments and materials, social policies, moral values and how they created new problems. In this course we investigate how knowledge acquired the characteristics of modern science: the social structure, contents, values and methods, and how their history was built.
A basic level of English is sufficient to enter this class, teacher and students can also communicate in Chinese. If you already followed the course Exploring History of Science Part I: Science in the Ancient Worlds, the class will be easier for you, yet, it is possible to follow this course without attending the Part I.
This course is taught partly by the teacher and partly by dialogue with students. One part of the class is dedicated to the lecture, showing and explaining notions and historical element. Then, in the other parts, Students and teacher discuss historical texts in class. The teaching method requires participation from the students. Many questions are raised, and the answers are discussed. The other part of the class is dedicated to student’s interest, where selected topics are presented by students and discussed with the students and teacher.
Although the class is in English, the level of language is not taken into account for the evaluation. To do so, the evaluation follows two processes: one is made through short quiz tests every week, and longer quiz tests for mid-term and final exam, the other through oral presentation and participation in class. The short quiz test consists in a single multiple choice question on the previous lecture. The longer quiz test consists in a set of multiple choice questions. The documents provided in class can be used while the exam. The other part of the evaluation consists of a poster presentation, quality of questions and criticism sent by students and participation in class. Class participation (including prepared questions, criticisms, opinions): 5% Oral presentation: 20% Weekly multiple choice questions: 10% Mid-term open book exam: 30% Final exam: 35%
| 週次 | 主題 |
|---|---|
| 第 1 週 | Introduction: Revolution as a central concept in history of science. What is a scientific revolution? What is history of science? |
| 第 2 週 | Revolution in astronomy and physics. Medieval astronomy: the scholastic versions of Aristotle and Ptolemy |
| 第 3 週 | Copernicus: a revolutionary moment? |
| 第 4 週 | Copernicus problem: the inertia principle and understanding movement. Bruno and Brahe. |
| 第 5 週 | Copernicus problem: the inertia principle and understanding movement. Kepler. |
| 第 6 週 | Galileo’s proofs: the trial and the church. |
| 第 7 週 | Galileo’s proofs: modern physics and astronomy begins. |
| 第 8 週 | New scientific method and new objects: The rationalist school. Descartes, Leibniz and Pascal. |
| 第 9 週 | Mid-term exams. |
| 第 10 週 | New scientific method and new objects: The empiricist school. Bacon, Boyle and Hobbes. |
| 第 11 週 | Newton’s science and religion. The Principia and their translations. |
| 第 12 週 | Exporting science, the case of China: The Kangxi emperor, Matteo Ricci and Xu Guangqi |
| 第 13 週 | Revolution in chemistry. The end of the phlogiston and ether theory by an experiment between biology, chemistry and physics: Lavoisier. |
| 第 14 週 | Revolution in biology. History of concept of “life”. The Greek and medieval roots: the finalism. |
| 第 15 週 | The concept of “life” from a mechanistic and vitalist point of view. Descartes and Bichat. |
| 第 16 週 | The evolutionism. Linne, Bufon, Lamarck and Darwin. The cellular theory. |
| 第 17 週 | Final Exam |
| 第 18 週 | Correction, feedback and conclusion on concept of revolution. |
All materials are provided by the teacher. (A. Koyre, From the Closed World to the Infinite Universe, Peter Smith Publisher 1983. T.S. Kuhn, Structure of Scientific Revolution, Wiley ed. 2002. D. R. Danielson, The Book of the Cosmos, Helix Books Perseus Publishing, Cambridge Massachusetts, 2000; etc.)
- 地點
- A612
- 時間
- 2CD, 3CD, 4CD
- 聯絡方式
- charlotte.pollet7@gmail.com