History of Science

A black and white image depicting 4 men in Shakespearan garb looking at natural history objects in a museum.

An engraving by Ferrante Imperato titled "Dell'Historia Naturale" (Naples, 1599). The image is in the public domain. 

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

STS.310

As Taught In

Fall 2015

Level

Graduate

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Course Description

Course Description

This course offers an introduction to the history and historiography of science from ancient Greece to the present. It is designed to serve as an introduction for those who have no prior background in the field and to deepen the knowledge of those who already do. We will consider how the history of science has responded to its encounters with philosophy, sociology, economics, and anthropology. Our readings and discussions will focus on determining what makes particular works effective, understanding major contemporary trends and debates in the history of science, and establishing resources for further research.

Other Versions

Related Content

Robin Scheffler. STS.310 History of Science. Fall 2015. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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