04462 - History of Science and Technique (G.A)

Learning outcomes

The history of science is by now a discipline present in almost all Italian universities and part of many degree courses of study, both in the humanities and sciences. The central role this course plays in university education is principally based on two fundamental motivations: 1) the recognition of the history of science as an ideal discipline in order to surpass the problematic fracture between humanist culture and scientific culture 2) the evidence that the development of science and technology is the most decisive and apparent aspect of the contemporary world. The history of science and technique course is therefore firstly characterised by its highly interdisciplinary content and by the possibility to offer outlooks of analysis and study that differ from and are alternative to the traditional approach of fields of knowledge, both in the humanist and scientific worlds.

Course contents

The course aims at drawing a picture of the history of ideas and practices that characterized the human approach to nature from Babylonian antiquity to the end of the Middle Ages. The course is divide in two parts:

1. Science and Technique from Antiquity to the Middle Age. 
In the first part of the course, we will study the main currents of theoretical development of Ancient, Hellenistic, Late Antique, Islamic and Medieval natural philosophy. We will analyze specific sciences (mathematics, astronomy-astrology, mechanics, medicine, etc.) and their relationship with the artisanal and productive practices of the time, which are often overlooked in the classical narratives on the development of pre-modern science. We will focus in particular on the Mediterranean basin as the stage of lively theoretical and practical scientific exchanges between disparate cultural, linguistic and ethnic actors.

2. Melancholy and Other Diseases of the Soul.
The second part of the course will focus on ancient medicine, from Hippocrates to Galen. Special attention will be given to medical texts dealing with early forms of “psychopathology,” as well as to medico-philosophical theories that explore the rational faculties of the human being and reflect on the functions of the heart, blood, and brain. The course will examine the relationship between soul, mind, and body in the works of major ancient physicians and natural philosophers, with a particular focus on the main diseases of the soul as conceptualized in antiquity—primarily melancholy, along with other conditions such as mania and phrenitis.

Topics

Part I, General Introduction: Science and Technique from Antiquity to the Middle Ages (ca. 30h)

Science before science? How to study pre-modern science

Babylon and Egypt

Science in Greece in the Classical period

Scientific developments in Hellenistic times

Roman civilization, sciences and techniques

Science in Byzantium

The Greek-Syriac-Arabic translation movement

Part II, Monographic Course: Melancholy and Other Diseases of the Soul (ca. 30h)

Melancholy in Hippocratic Medicine and the Letters on Democritus’ Madness. This section will examine the concept of melancholy in medical texts attributed to Hippocrates, with particular attention to the pseudoepigraphic letters concerning Democritus’ supposed madness.

Aristotle, the Brain, and Melancholy. Following a brief introduction to Aristotelian biology, we will analyze the pseudo-Aristotelian treatise Problem XXX.1, which poses the question: “Why are all exceptional men melancholic?”

Psychopathologies in Hellenistic Medicine. This part of the course will explore advances in anatomical knowledge during the Hellenistic period, focusing on the development of medical understandings of mania, hallucination, illusion, and imagination.

Mind and Body in Galen of Pergamon. After an introduction to Galen’s conception of melancholy, we will study the treatise "Whether the Capacities of the Soul Follow the Mixtures of the Body", which investigates the relationship between bodily physiology and the dynamics of human emotions, understood as pathēmata of the soul.

Readings/Bibliography

Reading list

- Part I:

1) Clericuzio, A., Uomo e Natura. Scienza, tecnica e società dall’antichità all’età moderna (Firenze: Carocci 2022), pp. 1-183

2) V. Gazzaniga, La medicina antica, Roma: Carocci, 2018

3) Primary sources read and commented in class (available on Virtuale)

4) Secondary literature suggested in class (available on Virtuale)

- Part II:

1) J. Pigeaud, La follia nell'antichità classica. La mania e i suoi rimedi, a cura di A. D’Alessandro (Venezia: Marsilio, 1995), pp. 78-249

2) Ippocrate, Lettere sulla follia di Democrito, a cura di A. Roselli (Napoli: Liguori, 1998) – scelta antologica di lettere

3) Aristotele, Problema XXX, 1. Perché tutti gli uomini straordinari sono melanconici, a cura di B. Centrone (Pisa: Edizioni ETS, 2018)

4) Galeno, Le passioni e gli errori dell’anima, a cura di M. Menghi, M. Vegetti (Venezia: Marsilio 1994), pp. 95-129

Students not attending classes

Not-attending students should also read the following study: G. Ecca, Etica ippocratica sulle orme di Ippocrate (Milano: Editrice Bibliografica, 2018).

Teaching methods

Lecture on the course’s topics.

Reading and in-class commentary of relevant passages from primary sources in the history of pre-modern science.

Students will be encouraged to deliver short presentations on discreet topics (either individually or as part of a group)

Assessment methods

The exam consists in a oral interview during which the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated. The student will be invited to discuss texts covered during the course and to expand on their historical context. The achievement of a systematic knowledge of the topics addressed in class and of a critical approach to the sources together with the use of precise language will be assessed with grades of excellence (28-30). Mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the topics together with proper exposition will be assessed by good grades (23-27); gaps in the mastery of the topics of the course, superficial contextualization and knowledge of the texts will be assessed with sufficient grades (18-22). Lack of any of the above requirements will lead to a negative grade.

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

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, multimedia material, and recordings of some classes.

Office hours

See the website of Matteo Martelli