Syllabus for Imagining Science

Posted on January 9, 2008
Filed Under Teaching |

Course Description: For the last three hundred years, science has been the dominant system of thought in the West. To a great extent, it has determined the ways in which Europeans and Americans have understood the world around them, the world within them, and determined the ways in which reality has been constructed. Since literature reflects the culture in which it is produced, it stands to reason that we can learn a good deal about the workings of science through a careful process of reading. This course will examine several key texts by and about scientists, selections from scientific treatises, as well as works of fiction, in an attempt to understand the power of science for making sense, and its potential for obscuring our vision of things that lie outside its domain. This course will examine the ways in which literature reflects cultural assumptions about the nature and function of science.

Texts: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley; Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood; Galatea 2.2, Richard Powers; Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction, Samir Okasha; Darwin: A Very Short Introduction, Jonathan Howard; assorted handouts.

Themes & Approaches: This course is organized around the reading of three novels, which are listed above under Texts. Each of these novels deals with the attempted creation of an analogue of human life as we know it. That is an intentionally vague phrase that we will fill in as we go along. The novels form the core of the course, but we will also read most of the chapters from two books in the Very Short Introductions (VSI) series from Oxford University Press, as well as a number of handouts of poems, essays, and other texts, including some materials online. The VSI books, the handouts, and the web material are intended to provide background and perspective on the novels. Though we will to some extent invent the course themes as we go along, it is safe to say we will deal with questions such as: What do we mean by the words human or person? What kinds of knowledge do science and literature provide? What is the relationship between science and political authority? How do novels and other works of art have to say about the way we understand our place in the world?

Course Rules & Procedures: In order to assure the smooth functioning of the course and to provide the best conditions for intellectual work, please observe the following rules and procedures. (Note that I have covered some of the same material in my first post to the class weblog.) Come to class prepared to participate in discussion based on the readings & the online writing (more on this below). Being “prepared to discuss” involves a number of things, such as being awake & alert, not having a hat or hoodie pulled down over your face, not having earphones in (or near) your ears, having your cell phone turned off & put away, having done the reading, etc. In other words, I expect that you will join me in creating the conditions in which an intellectual community can flourish. Within those parameters, though, I expect the class to be conducted in a friendly & casual manner. Feel free to bring a drink or a snack, for instance. I offer these guidelines for the good of the class; as the instructor, it is my job to create a situation in the classroom conducive to learning, but the most important of my responsibilities is to help establish an atmosphere in the classroom in which everyone feels comfortable expressing his or her views. That means that we will all treat each other with respect. It also means that participation is expected. Participation counts for a great deal in the success of this course. (It is possible to make up for some lack of classroom participation by extra posting on the weblog.)

Attendance & Etc: Attendance will be taken. With the exception of documented family or medical emergencies, there are no excused absences. (Being asleep in class counts as an absence. Please don’t come to class if you are too tired to stay awake.) You may miss two class session without penalty; after that, each absence will deduct two percent from your grade. If you miss a class, you are responsible for finding out what took place: check the weblog, ask another student, make an appointment with me (but please don’t ask “Did I miss anything important?”). Quizzes and tests cannot be made up except in cases of documented family or medical emergencies. Pop quizzes cannot be made up in any case. While I recognize that getting around campus can be arduous in the winter, please make every attempt to come to class on time: regular late arrival will affect your attendance grade.

Course Requirements & Grading:
Online writing & discussion - 10%
In-class Participation - 20%
Four Scheduled Quizzes - 20%
[Pop quizzes - extra credit]
Research Project - 20%
Two take-home essay exams - 30%

Academic Honesty: The problem with plagiarism and other forms of cheating is that they destroy the integrity of the academic and intellectual community we should be striving to foster. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Please refer to the Clarkson Regulations for detailed information. Within the general guidelines outlined in the Regulations, my policy is that any assignment done dishonestly will receive 0 points and cannot be made up; a second occurrence of academic dishonesty will result in automatic failure in the course. (In all cases, a student has the right to appeal an instructor’s sanction to the Academic Integrity Committee of the University.) If you are sure about what constitutes a violation of academic integrity, please ask. In particular, if you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, ask before you turn anything in for a grade. (There is a guide to understanding plagiarism on the course weblog.)

Research Project: Though you may use various media, this is a written project. You may work alone or in groups of up to four students. There will be a separate information sheet on the research project.

Course Weblog: You will have assigned posting duties for main entries, but you are also expected to comment regularly on weblog entries by students & the instructor - approximately 20 comments over the course of the semester.

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Note: This course assumes that the modern synthesis of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection represents the best scientific explanation for the development of life on earth. Individuals are of course free to reject evolution on religious or other grounds, but this course deals with science and literature, not religion as such. While it is true that we may find ourselves discussing various objections to evolution (as well as other scientific and literary ideas), we will do so from the perspectives of literature and science.