106B Syllabus Summer 2012

7/31/2019 106B Syllabus Summer 2012

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History 106B: The Scientific Revolution, 1500-1800

Common sense is the best distributed commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well

supplied with it.- Descartes

Enrollment Code: 16014 Instructor: Tim Daniels

Room: HSSB 4041 Contact: [email protected],T,W,R 9:30-10:35 Office Hours: M,T 1-2pm, HSSB 3220

Gaucho Space Website: www.gauchospace.ucsb.edu

Required Texts:(All texts can be purchased at the UCEN bookstore, or much cheaper elsewhere; any edition of

any of the texts is acceptable)

1. Dear, Peter.Revolutionizing the Sciences. ISBN 06911420682. Jardine, Lisa.Ingenious Pursuits. ISBN 03854932583. Sarasohn, Lisa (ed). The Scientific Revolution. ISBN 06180524374. Sobel, Dava.Longitude. ISBN 080271529X5. Online assignments, available on Gaucho Space

Course Description: 106B covers the history of science in the West from Copernicus to Lavoisier: the transition

from medieval, theocentric views of nature and its operation to secular and mechanistic views in the seventeenth

and eighteenth centuries, and the transition from natural philosophy to science.

Grades:

Essay #1 = 20 points Record grade:___________

Midterm exam = 20 points Record grade:___________

Essay # 2 = 20 points Record grade:___________Final exam = 30 points Record grade:___________

In class participation = 10 points Record grade:___________

*keep track of your grades so that you have a solid idea of where you stand!

Broadly speaking, this is how I view each of the following course grades:

A You did everything I could possibly ask of you, and you did it extremely well. You worked very hard,

learned a great deal, and showed intelligence. The quality of your work was outstanding.

B You did all the work and you did it well. You worked hard and learned a good deal. The quality of your

work was good.

C You did all the work. It is clear that you learned a number of things, though you may not have a cohesive

and/or critical understanding of the course material. The quality of your work was adequate.

D You did most of the work, including all the major course requirements. You may have learned some

things, but it is not clear you learned anything important. The quality of your work was less than

adequate.

F You did not complete the course requirements. You have proved unwilling or unable to do college level

work in this subject area.

Due Dates: Essays should be submitted electronically via Gauchospace by the beginning of class on the due date.

I will accept assignments early and encourage you to submit drafts of your essays (at least three class meetings

before the due date). Late assignments receive an automatic 10% grade deduction for each late day.


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Attendance and participation: You may miss two classes with no penalty. That means that I am letting you

miss 10% of the class without damaging your grade. If this were your first year on an entry-level job, that would

be the equivalent of giving you over 5 weeks of vacation! Each additional class that you miss will result in the

loss of three points (or a third of a letter grade) from your final grade. Please show up to class on time and do not

begin to pack up until I let you know class is over. Partial attendance in class or not having readings for that day

will result in partial attendance credit. If you have to come in late or leave early on any given day, please talk to

me in advance.Once a week I will give a very short (perhaps a paragraph long) writing assignment based on the reading

for that day or previous days. These assignments will constitute half of the points available for in class

participation, since you will be unable to participate effectively if you have not completed the reading

assignments. I will count the highest 5 of these 6 assignments. The other half of your in-class participation grade

will be based on participation in group discussions, small and large group activities, and other work we engage in

class.

Enrollment: It is your responsibility to drop this class if you stop attending. Failure to drop the class may result

in a failing grade at the end of the session. Please see me if you wish to drop this class. UCSB has many

resources to assist you with succeeding and I want to see every student complete and pass this class. So dontgive up. If you are willing to work hard we can work something out!

Cell phone policy: No cell phones may be out during class (even to look up online assignments/readings). If you

use your phone during class you will be counted as absent for that day. Students with emergency reasons for

needing a cell phone on a particular day must follow this protocol:

1. Inform me before class of the emergency2. Set the phone to vibrate3. Sit near the exit of the classroom4. Exit room before answering phone

Academic Integrity: Plagiarism is defined by the Council of Writing Program Administrators as occurring

when a writer deliberately uses someone elses language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge)

material without acknowledging its source (http://www.wpscouncil.org/node/9). This means that for your essays

you must cite all instances when you borrow someone elses words, ideas, or material. If you have questionsabout citation or plagiarism, please contact me. This is of the utmost importance because if you are found guilty

of plagiarism you will receive a failing grade on that assignment, and most likely a failing grade in the course. I

am also required to report the infraction to the department chair who will, in turn, alert the Office of Student

affairs, which will place a note of the incident in your academic file. It is not worth risking your college career on

plagiarism, so just dont do it.

Other Points: If you wish to discuss a grade you receive, I ask that you wait at least one day after receiving that

grade to talk with me, and that you put in writing the reasons why you believe you deserve another grade.

I do not discuss grades over email, so if you want to talk about your academic performance, you must

meet with me in person.

I want this to be a casual and comfortable learning environment. Feel free to bring drinks or snacks to

class.We will be reading about and discussing some very important and touchy topics. Please feel free to speak

up about them but keep in mind that at all times you must be respectful of your fellow students as well as

individuals who may not be in the classroom. I absolutely will not tolerate disparaging comments about race,

class, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political views, or anything else that are intentionally

derogatory.

Assignments: Specific information about the Essays and Exams will be distributed in class.
http://www.wpscouncil.org/node/9http://www.wpscouncil.org/node/9http://www.wpscouncil.org/node/9http://www.wpscouncil.org/node/9


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Students with disabilities: If you are a student with a documented disability (registered with the DSP program:

893-2668, www.sa.ucsb.edu/dsp) and you would like to arrange special accommodations, please contact me after

class and I will be happy to discuss alternative arrangements.

One Last Thing: I am here because I love teaching and because I learn a lot from interacting with you. I want

you to succeed, so please feel free to talk to me about anything class related. And if there is something else going

on with which you believe I can appropriately help you, dont hesitate to ask. Also, keep in mind that it is a loteasier to avoid potential road hazards early than to fix them after they have become a problem, so if you see

trouble on the horizon, talk to me asap.

Schedule:*readings are to be completed by the day for which they are assigned

*I suggest holding class on 30JUN or 13JUL and taking 5JUL off. Thoughts?

Week 1:

1. M, 26JUN: Course Introduction and Administrative Things, Defining the Scientific

Revolution2. T, 27JUN: Science in 1500

Assignment: Dear, ch. 1. (18)

3. W, 28JUN: Paracelsus

Assignment: Dear, pp. 29-32, ch. 3; Sarasohn, Eamon.http://www.rexresearch.com/alchemy2/paratrsr.htm - The Treasure of Treasures forAlchemists by Paracelsus.Just bring a copy of Paracelsus to class; no need to read(27)

4. R, 29JUN: VesaliusAssignment: Dear, rest of Ch. 2http://vesalius.northwestern.edu/flash.html - Preface to

Emperor Charles V; browse illustrations ofDe Fabrica.(18)

Week 2:5. M, 2JUL: Copernicus

Assignment: Sarasohn, readings by Westman, Kuhn;

http://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-text-Copernicus.html - Forward by Osiander, Letterof Schnberg, Letter of Copernicus to Pope, Intro, ch. 1-2. (20)

6. T, 3JUL: Kepler, Galileo, Brahe

Assignment: Dear, ch. 4; Sarasohn, reading by Biagioli;http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.html - Galileos Letter to the

Grand Duchess Christina. (36)

7. W, 4JUL: No Class, Independence Day8. R, 5JUL: Patronage, Science, and Warfare

Assignment: Sarasohn, Biagioli; Dear, ch. 6. (33)

Week 3:

9. M, 9JUL: Bacon and the Culture of ExperimentAssignment: Essay # 1 due; Dear, ch. 7; Sarasohn, readings by Zisel, Shapin and

Schaffer. (34)

10. T, 10JUL: Descartes and CartesianismAssignment: Dear, ch. 5; Sarasohn, reading by Westfall; DescartesDiscourse on Methodbrowse all; read intro, Chapters 1,2,&4. (32)
http://www.rexresearch.com/alchemy2/paratrsr.htmhttp://www.rexresearch.com/alchemy2/paratrsr.htmhttp://vesalius.northwestern.edu/flash.htmlhttp://vesalius.northwestern.edu/flash.htmlhttp://vesalius.northwestern.edu/flash.htmlhttp://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-text-Copernicus.htmlhttp://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-text-Copernicus.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/galileo-tuscany.htmlhttp://webexhibits.org/calendars/year-text-Copernicus.htmlhttp://vesalius.northwestern.edu/flash.htmlhttp://www.rexresearch.com/alchemy2/paratrsr.htm


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11. W, 11JUL: Organizing Natural Philosophy

Assignment: Jardine, ch. 1. (22)12. R, 12JUL: Midterm Exam.

Week 4:13. M, 16JUL: Boyle, Hooke, and the Animal Machine

Assignment: Jardine, 2. (32)

14. T, 17JUL: HarveyAssignment: Jardine, ch. 3. (29)

15. W, 18JUL: The Role of Scientific Societies

Assignment: Bring (but you need not read before class) TBD articles from the

Philosophical Transactions. They can be accessed throughwww.jstor.org and on

Gauchospace, but can only be accessed from a UCSB or proxy server.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-royalsoc.html - Voltaires On the

Royal Society and other Academies. (7)

16. R, 19JUL: Newton and the PrincipiaAssignment: Sarasohn, Genuth; http://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst337/Newton.htm -

Principia, Introduction, Rules of Reasoning in Philosophy, General Scholium. (7)

Week 5:

17. M, 23JUL: The Culture of NewtonianismAssignment: Dear, ch. 8; http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-

newton.html#Letter%20XIVVoltaire, On Descartesand Sir Isaac Newton. (32)

18. T, 24JUL: Navigation and New Worlds

Assignment: Essay #2 due;Longitude; Jardine, chs. 4+5.(125GET A HEAD START)19. W, 25JUL: Linnaeus and Buffon: Natural History and Natural Philosophy

Assignment: Jardine, ch. 6. (33)

20. R, 26JUL: Generation

Assignment: Jardine, ch. 7. (31)

Week 6:

21. M, 30JUL: Books and Scientific SharingAssignment: Jardine, ch. 8. (32)

22. T, 1AUG: Lavoisier and Dalton: The Chemical Revolution

Assignment:Bring to class, but you need not read beforehand:http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/helmont.html - Excerpts from the work of Jan-Baptist

van Helmont,http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/black.html - Joseph Blacks Experimentsupon Magnesia Alba, http://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/lavpref.html - Lavoisiers

Preface toElements of Chemistry. (16)23. W, 2AUG: Science in 1800

Assignment: Dear, Conclusion; Sarasohn, readings by Cohen, Porter, Dobbs. (31)

24. R, 3AUG: Final Exam
http://www.jstor.org/http://www.jstor.org/http://www.jstor.org/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-royalsoc.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-royalsoc.htmlhttp://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst337/Newton.htmhttp://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst337/Newton.htmhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-newton.html#Letter%20XIVhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-newton.html#Letter%20XIVhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-newton.html#Letter%20XIVhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/helmont.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/helmont.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/black.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/black.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/black.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/lavpref.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/lavpref.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/lavpref.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/black.htmlhttp://web.lemoyne.edu/~giunta/helmont.htmlhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-newton.html#Letter%20XIVhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-newton.html#Letter%20XIVhttp://coursesa.matrix.msu.edu/~hst337/Newton.htmhttp://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1778voltaire-royalsoc.htmlhttp://www.jstor.org/


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106B Syllabus Summer 2012