Detailed Information
HIS20780 - History of Science* (Audit) - 2017 Sem I
This module provides a broad outline of the history of science, from ancient times to the present, and incorporates a number of fields of study that we today consider to be ‘scientific’. It traces a line from the earliest conceptions of the universe to the evolving views of mankind’s relationship with his world, through the Scientific Revolution to current and emerging scientific theories that challenge our very notions of reality itself. The course addresses the question of what counts as science, and whether this has changed over time. What, for example, would the idea of ‘science’ or ‘scientific endeavour’ have meant to the earliest geographers, zoologists or mathematicians? What line divides early-modern astronomical navigation from astrology? What is a ‘scientific revolution’? How does the history of science confirm or challenge our ideas of historical narratives?
Semester 1
Level 2
Lectures: Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00, beginning 12 September.
Tutorials to be selected.
If you are taking this module for credit, please take note of the dates below:
Term dates for revision: Saturday, 1 December - Sunday, 9 December
Term dates for exams: Monday, 10 December – Friday, 21 December
Open Learning Fee (audit only) €350 per module
Open Learning Fee (with assessment) €500 per 5 credit module
Upgrading from audit to credit: You may upgrade from being an audit student to a credit student up to three weeks into term. Please note, however, that you can't change back to being an audit student - if you decide not to complete the assignments and/or sit the exams, this will appear on your academic record.
Concessions
There are no concessions available for Open Learning modules.
Refunds
Refunds may in some instances be available for extenuating circumstances, such as serious illness, within two weeks of the start of the module. Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing, with supporting documents where appropriate.
Professor Robert Gerwarth