Can science provide objective knowledge of the external mind-independent world, or are the empirical aspirations of science limited by the social, cultural, economic, political, and religious contexts that shape “science” itself? Can scientific knowledge reach certainty? How do sociocultural factors affect the process of theory acceptance? This course considers “science” as an epistemological battleground from 17th century debates on inductive reasoning to contemporary arguments about “alternative” science. Course readings, lectures, and activities will explore changing perspectives on nonhuman nature across time, from medieval bestiaries to early modern cabinets of curiosities, from colonial botany to more recent legends of Yetis, Bigfoots, and other fantastical creatures of cryptozoology.
Can science provide objective knowledge of the external mind-independent world, or are the empirical aspirations of science limited by the social, cultural, economic, political, and religious contexts that shape “science” itself? Can scientific knowledge reach certainty? How do sociocultural factors affect the process of theory acceptance? This course considers “science” as an epistemological battleground from 17th century debates on inductive reasoning to contemporary arguments about “alternative” science. Course readings, lectures, and activities will explore changing perspectives on nonhuman nature across time, from medieval bestiaries to early modern cabinets of curiosities, from colonial botany to more recent legends of Yetis, Bigfoots, and other fantastical creatures of cryptozoology.
