From Plato to Einstein

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

In this subject, we embark on a fascinating journey through the history of Western thought, exploring changing ideas about the physical world from antiquity to the present day. Beginning with the 'naturalistic' attitude which originated in Greece in the sixth century BC, this subject traces the transforming image of the cosmos from the religious and magical outlook of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, to the birth of modern science and the secular vision of the Enlightenment. Our story concludes with the dramatic shift in our understanding of space, time and matter that took place in the twentieth century. Of particular interest will be the way in which thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein have shaped our understanding of the physical universe. We cover such topics as: ancient Greek theories of matter; Renaissance magic and astrology; the rise and fall of the view that the universe is infinite; and the history of attempts to understand the nature of gravity. Students taking this subject will gain a wide ranging introduction of the history of science and an appreciation of the way in which it has been shaped by wider cultural and intellectual movements.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

• Engage in critical reflection about the past and its connection to the present

• Develop skills in written and oral communication

• Conduct independent research

• Make use of appropriate primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument

• Form defensible judgments on the basis of a critical evaluation of arguments in the secondary literature