2024 Faculty Courses School of Environment and Society Department of Social and Human Sciences Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
Graduate Lecture in Science, Technology and Society F1A
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Social and Human Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Yoshimi Takuwa
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-2 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- SHS.S443
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This lecture traces the history of science from ancient times to the late 17th century by viewing the descriptions of the Scientific Revolution.
Students will examine the differences of the descriptions in these materials and consider how the Scientific Revolution is accepted by scholars.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Understand the origin of science and scientific activities, and their changes.
2) Have their own opinions on the descriptions of the scientists’ lives in history: this year we take Isaac Newton as an example.
Keywords
History of Science, History of Philosophy, scientist, society, biography
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Each class starts with student presentations on the assigned material and then moves on to the discussion.
Topics may be changed according to the interests of the participants.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Introduction: Images of Newton | Understand the general outline of Isaac Newton and the natural philosophy in the 17th century. |
| Class 2 | 1. From Woolsthorpe to Cambridge, 1642-1664 | Understand the description of a scientist’s early life. |
| Class 3 | 2. Early Achievements, 1665-1668 | Understand the description of a scientist’s early achievements. |
| Class 4 | 3. A Young Professor and His Audience, 1669-1674 | Understand the description of a scientist’s first career. |
| Class 5 | 4. A Maturing Scholar, 1675-1683 | Understand the description of a scientist’s occult aspects: Alchemy. |
| Class 6 | 5. Natural Philosopher, 1684-1695 | Understand the description of the birth of the great work: Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica |
| Class 7 | 6. The Last Years, 1696-1727 | Understand the description of the process according to which a scientist becomes authorized and apotheosized. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
R. Iliffe, Newton: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007).
Reference books, course materials, etc.
R. Iliffe & G. E. Smith (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Newton, 2nd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016).
島尾永康、『ニュートン』 、岩波新書、1979年。
中島秀人、『ニュートンに消された男ロバート・フック』、角川ソフィア文庫、 2018年。
Evaluation methods and criteria
Engagement to the class (attendance and comments) 50 %, Presentation 50 %
Related courses
- LAH.S433 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences37:History of Science
- SHS.S461 ： Graduate Methodologies in Science, Technology and Society S1
- SHS.S462 ： Graduate Methodologies in Science, Technology and Society F1
Prerequisites
Mainly use materials written in English.
It is preferable to have intermediate-level capacity for reading English.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
takuwa.y.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp
Other
No classes will be given on October 4 (Fri).
Completing the online assignment on T2SCHOLA by October 11 (Fri) will be considered as completing the first class activity
Six classes will be held for this course: October 10 (Fri), October 18 (Fri), October 25 (Fri), November 1 (Fri), November 8 (Fri), November 15 (Fri).