Seminar of History of sciences of antiquity

lfial2552  2022-2023  Louvain-la-Neuve

Seminar of History of sciences of antiquity
5.00 credits
22.5 h
Q2

This biannual learning unit is being organized in 2022-2023
Teacher(s)
Lempire Jean;
Language
French
Prerequisites
/
Main themes
Study of the development of some specific sciences (Arithmetic, Geometry, Geography, Astronomy, Medicine, etc.) in Ancient Egypt, Babylonian and Greco-Roman civilisations.
Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

1 At the end of this course of lectures, the student must understand how the modern concept of science was made up from the Egyptian, Babylonian and Ancient Greek civilisations.
 
Content
In a diachronic way (from the Early Antiquity to the 4th century AD), we will examine the developments of the exact (Arithmetic, Geometry, Astronomy) and natural (Medicine included) sciences in the Egyptian, Babylonian and Greek-Roman cultures, more particularly trough the study of technical topics and cases (for ex. Egyptian arithmetic, Euclidean geometry, the "Antikythera mechanism", the astronomical system of Ptolemy, ancient calendars, the theory of humors in Hippocrates and Galen, etc.).The importance of Alexandria as an intellectual and scientific center (around 300 BC - 2nd century AD) will also be highlighted.
Teaching methods
Lectures with demonstrations of the more technical topics.
Discussions on the contributions of ancient scientific disciplines to the constitution of Western pre-modern science.
Evaluation methods
June and/or September session: written exam.
The exam covers broad questions (e.g., transversal to the course), a technical explanation of case studies, and more specific points (authors, works, dating, etc.).
Online resources
Online documentation for several topics.
Bibliography
Références données au fil du cours.
Teaching materials
  • Documentation (complémentaire aux notes des étudiants) - en ce compris le powerpoint du cours - disponible sur le serveur Moodle.
Faculty or entity
FIAL


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Master [120] in Ancient Languages and Literatures: Oriental Studies

Master [120] in History

Master [120] in Ancient and Modern Languages and Literatures

Master [60] in History

Certificat universitaire en langue, littérature et civilisation latines

Master [60] in Ancient Languages and Literatures : Oriental Studies

Master [120] in Ancient Languages and Literatures: Classics