2019 | Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences37:History of Science

2019　Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences37:History of Science

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Academic unit or major: Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s): Takuwa Yoshimi

Class Format: Lecture

Media-enhanced courses

Day/Period(Room No.): Wed5-6(B223)

Group: -

Course number: LAH.S433

Credits: 1

Academic year: 2019

Offered quarter: 1Q

Syllabus updated: 2019/3/18

Lecture notes updated: 2019/6/6

Language used: Japanese

Access Index

Course description and aims

This lecture offers the history of science as examples to think about scientists’ lives in society.
In particular, each class focuses on a historical scientist and compares extracts of primary source materials (his/her own writings), secondary source materials (biographies or commentaries) and biographical videos. Students will examine the differences of the descriptions in these materials and consider how scientists’ lives and achievements are accepted in society.

Student learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Grasp scientists’ lives and achievements from multiple points of view.
2) Acquire basic knowledge to deliver their opinions about how scientists should behave from multiple points of view.

Keywords

History of Science, History of Philosophy, Scientist, Society

Competencies that will be developed

Specialist skills

✔ Intercultural skills

✔ Communication skills

✔ Critical thinking skills

✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Each class consists of a short lecture on a scientist’s achievements and related history, and a comparative survey of primary source materials, secondary source materials and videos. Materials are read aloud in turn with a group.

Course schedule/Required learning

	Course schedule	Required learning
Class 1	Guidance: Aristotle and nature	Taking Aristotle as an example, understand philosophers in ancient Greece.
Class 2	Leonardo da Vinci and inventions	Taking da Vinci as an example, understand superior artisans in the Renaissance period.
Class 3	Galileo Galilei and experiments	Taking Galilei as an example, understand Court Philosophers in the early 17th century.
Class 4	Isaac Newton and mathematics	Taking Newton as an example, understand mathematics and universities in the late 17th century.
Class 5	Antoine Lavoisier and chemistry	Taking Lavoisier as an example, understand chemistry and academies in the 18th century.
Class 6	Marie Curie and radioactivity	Taking Curie as an example, understand physics in the late 19th century as well as women in science.
Class 7	Wallace Carothers and polymer	Taking Carothers as an example, understand scientists in private companies in the 20th century.
Class 8	James Watson and DNA	Taking Watson as an example, understand biology and academic competitions in the 20th century.

Textbook(s)

None required.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Kiyonobu Itakura, A Short Biographical Dictionary of Scientists (Kasetsusya, 2000). (Japanese text)

Assessment criteria and methods

Engagement to the class (attendance and short reports) 50 %, Final report 50 %

Related courses

LAH.T102 ： History of Science A
LAH.T202 ： History of Science B
LAH.T302 ： History of Science C

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

Mainly use materials and videos translated in Japanese and partially use videos in English.
It is preferable to have intermediate-level capacity for reading Japanese and elementary-level capacity for listening to English.

Other

No classes will be given on April 10 (Wed) because of the orientation sessions for incoming first-year students.
Second year and above graduate students do not need to attend these orientation sessions.
Date of the first class is April 17 (Wed).

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