HSSC 519 - Topics in the Social History of Knowledge

Institution:

University of Pennsylvania

Subject:

Description:

Tresch. This reading seminar will cover writings on the social history of knowledge that are often mentioned by historians of science but less often read; it will give students a chance to read and discuss authors who are neglected, trendy, difficult, and/or foundational in this field. We will begin with Lovejoy's Great Chain of Being and critiques brought against it, moving to classic histories of scientific ideas with a focus on "mechanical philosophy" followed by recent rethinkings of "the Scientific Revolution." We will then visit major schools of historical interpretation: Foucault's geneaologies of knowledge and power, Marxist criticism and the Frankfurt School, Max Weber's analysis of rationalization and the values of science, along with philosophical approaches to technoscience, biopower, the state of exception and artificial life. Throughout, our guiding questions will be the relationship between scientific knowledge and institutions, practices, technologies and values, as well as the connection between local case studies and the "big picture" of science and technology in the modern world. The seminar is open to graduate students from any discipline who want to engage critically with these works.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.upenn.edu

Phone Number:

(215) 898-5000

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.