Renaissance Science

Instructor: Dr. William H. York

Course Description:
In this course we will consider recent scholarly approaches to the history of science in the Renaissance. We will allow for a broad definition of “Renaissance” to include the period from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. Likewise, we will employ a broad definition of “science” so as to include the numerous ways in which individuals interacted with and wrote about the natural world. Indeed, a general goal of this course will be to consider what constitutes “science” in this period and who might be qualified to produce it.

Our investigation of science in the early modern period will lead us to examine both the development of subjects that we recognize as “science” (natural history, medicine, physics), and the range of “occult sciences” or fields that might not appear “scientific” from a modern perspective (alchemy, astrology, magic). Furthermore, we will observe the many kinds of individuals involved in producing natural knowledge, from elite humanists down to artisanal and craft practitioners. Finally, we will find it necessary to consider the variety of spaces in which natural knowledge is produced; this will entail thinking about the influences of universities, aristocratic courts, museums, laboratories, artisanal workshops and the field on defining what constitutes “science” in the Renaissance.

Note: This course counts as an elective course for the minor in the History and Philosophy of Science.