92918 - History of Science

Learning outcomes

Through the study of scientific theories and practices across the centuries, from antiquity to the modern era, students will learn how to critically deal with science, its epistemological value and historical developments. Moreover, students will learn how to read scientific texts produced in different historical periods, and how to investigate their historical and cultural origins.

Course contents

This course (taught in English) explores the historical interplay between science and society by tracing the evolution of ideas and practices that have shaped humanity’s understanding of nature from ancient Babylon to the end of the Early Modern period.

Through readings and lectures, we will examine the development of scientific knowledge in relation to broader cultural, religious, and social contexts. Topics include conceptions of nature, objectivity, calculation, medicine, and technology in premodern societies. We will analyze key episodes in the history of science, highlighting how scientific thought and practice were shaped by—and helped shape—historical processes.

Subjects covered include Babylonian astronomy and medicine; science in Greece, Rome, and Byzantium; natural philosophy and artisanal practices in the Islamic world and medieval Europe; and the interplay between science and crafts from the Middle Ages through the Early Modern period.

Students will engage with primary sources in English translation and discuss modern historiographical and critical approaches to premodern science and technology. The course will be guided by foundational questions such as: What constitutes scientific knowledge? How do societies historically construct understandings of nature? What is the relationship between religion and science? Is premodern science pseudo-science?

The course is divided into three modules (approximately 20 hours each):

Module 1 – Antiquity to 500 CE

• Science before science? How to study premodern science
• Babylonian and Egyptian origins
• Change and knowledge in ancient science
• The Platonic universe
• Aristotelian natural philosophy
• Medicine from Babylon to Galen
• Science and empire

Module 2 – The Middle Ages

• Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the sciences
• The Carolingian "Renaissance"
• Translating science across cultures
• The medieval supralunar world
• The medieval sublunar world
• Artisanal knowledge, crafts, and their status
• Alchemy: theory and practice
• Astrology, divination, properties, and natural magic
• Science and religion

Module 3 – Early Modernity and the Scientific Revolution

• New worlds, old worlds
• The early modern sky
• The early modern earth
• The early modern body
• Episteme and techne
• Modulations and transformations

Readings/Bibliography

Required readings:

• David C. Lindberg, The Beginning of Western Science. The European Scientific Tradition in Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, Prehistory to A.D. 1450, The University of Chicago Press, London and Chicago 2007 (second edition)
• Lawrence M. Principe, The Scientific Revolution. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2011
• Plato, Timaeus, transl. and intro by Donald J. Zeyl, Hackett, Indianapolis 2000
• Ibn Tufayl, Hayy ibn Yaqẓān. A Philosophical Tale, transl. and intro by Lenn Evan Goodman, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago-London 2003.
• Further primary sources and secondary literature will be made available on Virtuale and discussed in class

Optional readings:

• Massimiano Bucchi, Science In Society: an Introduction to Social Studies of Science, Routledge, London 2004
• Serafina Cuomo, Technology and Culture in Greek and Roman Antiquity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2007
• Jan Golinski, Making Natural Knowledge, University of Chicago Press, Chicago-London, 2010
• Geoffrey E.R. Lloyd, Ancient Worlds, Modern Reflections : Philosophical Perspectives on Greek and Chinese Science and Culture, Claredon Press, New York 2004
• John M. Steele, A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East, Saqi, London 2008

Non-attending students

Students not attending classes should supplement the study of the required readings listed above, with one book of their choice from the optional readings list

Teaching methods

Lectures on the main topics of the course.
Reading, commentary, and discussion of selected passages from the works of ancient and medieval philosophers, scientists, and alchemists.
Students will also be encouraged to explore specific topics through targeted research projects, which they may present during the course, either individually or in groups.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral interview aimed at assessing the student’s methodological and critical skills. Students will be asked to discuss texts covered during the course and to elaborate on their historical context. Excellent grades (28–30) will be awarded for a systematic understanding of the topics addressed in class, a critical engagement with the sources, and the use of precise and appropriate language. Good grades (23–27) will reflect a mainly accurate, though more mechanical or memorized, knowledge of the material, accompanied by clear exposition. Sufficient grades (18–22) will be given in cases of partial understanding, superficial contextualization, and limited familiarity with the texts. Failure to meet these minimum criteria will result in a failing grade.

Exam sessions
During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: May, June, September, December, January, March. 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students. It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

Teaching tools

Use of ppt slides and multimedia educational tools

Office hours

See the website of Gabriele Ferrario