HIS458 History of Human Discovery
Course Description
Students in an undergraduate program are already familiar with the names and events commonly taught in basic history and culture courses. This course highlights the individuals who, influenced by their cultural patterns and values, are responsible for the development of our civilization. Focusing on certain pivotal inventions, namely the clock, the compass, the telescope the microscope, and the printing press and movable type, students analyze the continuing human need for discovery and its reciprocal relationship with culture and the development of civilization. This course explores the nature of time, inventors and inventions, the limits of science, and the nature of information in today's world.
Topics and Objectives
Construction of Time
- Examine the human need to measure time.
- Describe how the ability to measure time impacts human behavior.
Exploring Beyond the Boundaries
- Give examples of how discoveries advanced civilization.
- Summarize the challenges of exploration.
Inventors and Inventions
- Integrate inventions and discoveries into their historical context.
- Critique inventions and discoveries that charted the course of Western civilization.
Expanding the Limits of Science
- Assess how scientific progress changed the relationship of humans to the world.
- Determine how scientific knowledge challenged traditional beliefs and led to the discovery of multiple truths through controversy.
The Making of Modern Society
- Relate the invention of the printing press to the process of globalization.
- Evaluate the impact of printing on education.
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