Books Course requirements Readings: Seventeenth century Readings: Eighteenth century Readings: Nineteench century Schedule of topics

Books. Please purchase the following paperbound books: 
1. Stephen F. Mason, A History of the Sciences. 

2. Richard S. Westfall, The Life of Isaac Newton.

3 I. Bernard Cohen, Revolution in Science. 

4. Henry M. Leicester, Historical Background of Chemistry.

5. John North, The Norton History of Astronomy and Cosmology.

Please familiarize yourself with the following: 
1. G. Sarton, A Guide to the History of Science. 
2. W. Magie, A Source Book in Physics.
3. H. Shapley and H. Howarth, A Source Book in Astronomy.
4. H. M. Leicester and H. Klickstein, A Source Book in Chemistry.
5. F. Cajori, A History of Physics. 
6. A. Ihde, The Development of Modern Chemistry. 
7. Isis (journal of the History of Science Society).

Course Requirements: Midterm examination (essay type; may be a takehome). Final examination (essay type; may be a takehome). Research paper: About 12 pages, typed, with footnotes and bibliography, on a topic approved by the professor. Paper is due the seventh week of the quarter (23 Feb.). Grade is based on content and writing skills. If your writing skills are poor and you are unwilling to seek help on campus NOW, please do not take this course. This course fulfills the General Education Writing Requirement. Attend meeting in library, room 1575, on Thursday, 21 Jan., at 0800 sharp, for discussion of resources for term paper.

Reading Assignments: Required reading, in books other than those you are asked to buy, can be done in the Library's Reserve Book Room. An asterisk (*) means recommended reading.

The Seventeenth-Century Scientific Revolution (weeks 1-5)

1. Stephen Mason, A History of the Sciences, ch. 12-18, 20-22.
2. I. Bernard Cohen, Revolution in Science, ch. 1-11. 
3. John North, The Norton History of Astronomy and Cosmology, ch. 11-13.
4. S. Drake, Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo, First introduction and Starry Messenger. 
5. *S. Drake, the rest. 
6. H. Butterfield, "The Scientific Revolution," Scientific American, (Sept. 1960). 
7. Henry Leicester, Historical Background of Chemistry, ch. 10-12.
8. Richard Westfall, The Life of Isaac Newton, all. 
9. I. Newton, Principia, definitions, axioms, first four pages of book 3. 
10. *I. Newton, browse through the rest of the volume. 
11. I. Newton, Opticks, queries on pp. 339-406 (passim). 
12. *I. Newton, browse through the rest of the volume. 
13. *A. Wolf, A History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the 16th and 17th Centuries. 
14. *I. B. Cohen, Isaac Newton's Letters and Papers on Natural Philosophy.
15. *I. B. Cohen, The Birth of a New Physics. 
16. *C. C. Gillispie, The Edge of Objectivity, ch. 1-4.

The Eighteenth Century (weeks 6-7)

1. Mason, ch. 23-27.
2. *Mason, ch. 29. 3. Cohen, ch. 12-17. 
4. North, ch. 14.
5. Leicester, ch. 13-15.
6. D. McKie, Lavoisier, all.
7. C. Singer (ed.), History of Technology, vol. 4, ch. 5, 6, 23.
8. *C. Singer, ch. 8, 10, 19, 22.
9. *A. Wolf, A History of Science, Technology and Philosophy in the 18th Century. 
10. *C. Becker, The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth Century Philosophers.
11. *Gillispie, ch. 5-6.

The Nineteenth Century (weeks 8-10) 

1. Mason, ch. 35-40. 
2. *Mason, ch. 41.
3. Cohen, ch. 18-24.
4. David Knight, The Age of Science, all. 
5. North, ch. 15.
6. Leicester, ch. 16-17, 20-22.
7. D. K. C. MacDonald, Faraday, Maxwell, and Kelvin, all. 
8. H. Sharlin, The Convergent Century: The Unification of Science in the Nineteenth Century, all. 
9. *J. T. Merz, A History of European Thought in the Nineteenth Century.
10. *Gillispie, ch. 9-11.

Schedule of topics 

1. 07 Jan Organization. Survey of 106B. Review of 106A.

2. 12 Copernicus. Tycho. Kepler. 

3. 14 Galileo. 

4. 19 Galileo. 

5. 21 Mechanical philosophy. [Library session on resources for term paper. Room 1575.]

6. 26 Organization of science. 

7. 28 Organization of science. 

8. 02 Feb Newton. Review exam questions. 

9. 04 Newton. 

10. 09 Corpuscular views. Enlightenment. Exam.

11. 11 18C. astronomy. 

12. 16 18C. electricity. 

13. 18 18C. chemistry.

14. 23 Organization of science. Term papers due. 

15. 25 19C. astronomy. 

16. 02 Mar 19C. physics: energy, light. 

17. 04 19C. physics: electricity and magnetism.

18. 09 19C. chemistry: atomic theory. 

19. 11 19C. chemistry: electrochemistry. Review exam questions.

20. 16 19C. chemistry: organization. [Use Completeness for another talk]