Astronomy: Universe in World History -S3

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2010:

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website : http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

In many cultures the study of celestial phenomena has taken a central role in the attempts to understand their surroundings. The apparent regularity of sun, moon and stars enabled observers to formulate rules for the behaviour of celestial bodies and derive predictions from them. Consequently, astronomy has not only become the oldest field in the systematic study of nature, it gives an opportunity to compare these studies among different civilizations. This subject investigates the development of astronomical thought in various cultures ranging from East and South Asia via the Middle East and Europe to Latin America. Central questions will be: How were the same phenomena interpreted in different cultures? How was the relation between sun, moon and earth regarded? How were astronomical observations done? What functions did astronomy have in culture? How was astronomical knowledge transmitted in cultural exchanges? Why did early modern Europe become the place that developed the idea of modern science? What was the relevance of the heliocentric planetary system - with the earth revolving around the sun - in this development? The subject will thus give an overview of the genesis of our modern world view while offering reflections on cross-cultural studies of science.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• understand central developments in the history of astronomical thought.
• comprehend the complex relation between the cultural foundations of science and the study of natural phenomena.
• appreciate the cultural differences in the study of nature while being able to assume a comparative perspective.
• demonstrate the ability to analyse complex problems in great depth.

A subject reader will be available for purchase from the University Book Shop at the start of semester.

John North, Cosmos: An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• engage in critical reflection about the past and its connection to the present.
• assess the diversity of cultural developments.
• develop skills in written and oral communication.
• conduct independent research.
• make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources in mounting an argument.
• form defensible judgements based on a critical evaluation of conflicting evidence.