Humanities 361: Science in the Ancient Context
112 Esslinger MWF 2-2.50pm
Office Hours 10-10.50 MWF or by appointment
Malcolm Wilson 815 PLC 346-4155 mwilson@darkwing.uoregon.edu
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~mwilson/Homepage.html
One of man's greatest cultural traditions has been the practice of systematic knowledge, its discovery and exposition. In this respect the Greek accomplishment is truly breathtaking. Though the Greeks and their Roman and Arabic successors did not develop the full-blown modern practice of science, almost all of the individual modern techniques are attested and discussed.
This course will explore the subject, practice and social place of science in the ancient world. In addition to the study of specific scientific notions, theories and discoveries, we shall consider the philosophical (epistemological and metaphysical), and social (political, religious) underpinnings of early science. The students will gain insight into the historical situation of modern science and specific intellectual activities from which it arose.
We will be reading the ancient texts in translation, and though we will also be using a handbook, the students will have a relatively unmediated experience of ancient scientific practice.
Evaluation
There will be a class project (20%), a term paper or project (30%) and a final exam (50%).
Reading List
G.E.R. Lloyd. Early Greek Science: Thales to Aristotle. Norton. (EGS)
G.E.R. Lloyd. Greek Science After Aristotle. Norton, (GSAA)
Web resources
Week 1 (Jan 8-12)
Introduction; Milesians and the problem of change
read EGS chh. 1-2; 4
Thales
Anaximander
Anaximenes
Week 2 (Jan 15-19)
Pythagoreans
EGS ch. 3
Pythagoras and Pythagoreans
Hippocrates: EGS ch. 5
Airs, Waters, Places http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/airwatpl.1.1.html
On Ancient Medicine http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/ancimed.html
Epidemics http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/epidemics.html
Oath http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/hippooath.html
Week 3 (Jan 22-26)
EGS ch. 6; Plato Timaeus selections
(27c-47; 48-64; 64-end)
Week 4 (Jan 29-Feb 2)
Fourth century astronomy: EGS ch. 7
Plato Republic X: Myth of Er
Aristotle de Caelo Book I http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/mirror/classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/heavens.html
Week 5 (Feb 5-9)
Aristotle, Selections from Physics I-II (Monday); Meteorologica I.4-9 (Wednesday); Parts of Animals I (Friday)
EGS ch. 8
Week 6 (Feb 12-16)
GSAA chh. 1-3
Week 7 (Feb 19-23)
Hellenistic Astronomy (visit by James Evans)
GSAA ch. 5 and 8
Week 8 (Feb 26-Mar 2)
Hellenistic Mathematics
Euclid: http://aleph0.clarku.edu/~djoyce/java/elements/elements.html
from this website read from Book I: definitions, postulates and propositions 1-11
Archimedes: letter to Doritheus
Apollonius
GSAA ch. 4
Week 9 (Mar 5-9)
Biology GSAA ch. 6
Week 10 (Mar 12-16)
Galen GSAA ch.9
On the natural faculties