Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences16:History of Technology

Academic unit or major

Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s)

Toma Kawanishi

Class Format

Lecture (Face-to-face)

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

5-6 Wed (S2-204(S221))

Class

-

Course Code

LAH.S416

Number of credits

100

Course offered

2026

Offered quarter

1Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 5, 2026

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

Long before President Eisenhower introduced the term "Military-Industrial Complex" in his farewell address, a close relationship had already been established among the state (military), industrial economy, and academia. However, the military-industrial complex (or military-industrial-academic complex) that emerged in the United States during the WWII–Cold War era was overwhelming in both scale and scope, and it continues to exert a significant presence even today, despite the effective collapse of Pax Americana. There is no doubt that the military-industrial complex, particularly in the United States, was one of the driving forces behind the rapid technological changes of the 20th century and after. The U.S. military has held the most crucial position as a patron of cutting-edge technological development in modern history, and it continues to maintain a strong presence today, adapting flexibly to new circumstances. This course provides an overview of the history of the military-industrial complex from the Cold War to the present.

Course description and aims

The goal of this course is to establish a cognitive foundation for conducting rational discussions on the issues surrounding science, technology, and the military, while fostering the necessary analytical skills to engage in such discussions.

Keywords

History of Technology, Military Technology, War

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

Each session will run for approximately 60-80 minutes of lecture, followed by a request for individual comments from each participant. Additionally, there may be designated time for group work.

Course schedule/Objectives

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)

None specified.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Alex Roland, Delta of Power: The Military-Industrial Complex, (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021)

Evaluation methods and criteria

Evaluation will be based on weekly form submissions (50%) and a final paper (50%). If using conversational AI such as ChatGPT for the report, students must explicitly state this and provide supporting bibliographic information.

Related courses

• LAH.T103 ： History of Technology A
• LAH.T203 ： History of Technology B
• LAH.T303 ： History of Technology C

Prerequisites

A foundational knowledge of modern and contemporary history, equivalent to a high school-level textbook, is recommended. Students are also expected to meet the following minimum requirements:
- The ability to engage in thoughtful and objective discussions, regardless of personal beliefs.
- Basic academic writing skills, including logical organization, proper citation, and appropriate use of sources.

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

toma.kawanishi[at]gmail.com

Other

No class will be held on April 8 (Wed).
A total of seven classes will be held for this course: April 15 (Wed), April 22 (Wed), May 13 (Wed), May 20 (Wed), May 27 (Wed), June 3 (Wed), and June 5 (Fri)*.
*Please note that the final class is on a Friday.