Science and Religion in Italy

Instructor: Rev. Philip Larrey, PhD [see profile]
Disciplines: Philosophy, Religious Studies

The course examines the debate between science and religion in a specifically Italian context, with particular emphasis on the birth of the “new science” which emerged in the early 17th century. Galileo Galilei occupies a central place in this study, as his challenge to Aristotelian physics and astronomy and to the traditional interpretation of the Bible powerfully influenced the beliefs and convictions held by enlightened men and women for almost two millennia.

In order to understand the challenge correctly, students read excerpts of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Bacon, and Nicholas Copernicus. After examining in some depth the “Galileo Affair,” the course explores analogous issues raised by Giordano Bruno and Charles Darwin, emphasizing the role of rationality in the knowledge of a Divine Being.

Requirements:

• a mid-term exam
• research paper (6-8 pages)
• final exam

Related Links:

• Course Syllabus*
• Lecture Notes*
• eBibliography*

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