HIST 3413: Outer Space—Plato to Pluto

Human beings, regardless of when and where, have looked to the skies and pondered, “what’s up there.”

Answers and speculations have found their way into religious texts, scientific books, and the canon of world literature. Some reflections highlight the differences between the world above and the world we live in, others on connections and similarities. But from tide tables to horoscopes, a common conviction linking Antiquity to the present is that the world(s) above influences the world below. The subject of this seminar is ideas about and reflections upon what in the pre-modern West, from Greek Antiquity to early modern Europe (seventeenth century), has been variously called “outer space,” “the heavens,” “the celestial sphere.”

An upper-level history seminar, there will an emphasis on the analysis of primary materials, but the course is constructed to accommodate students with a variety of academic backgrounds and interests. Thus, while a background in pre-modern western history will at times be an advantage, so too will basic knowledge in physics, theology, and literature. In this respect, the seminar will benefit from the variety of strengths and interests the students collaboratively bring to the table.

Research papers will be required rather than examinations