Honors Collegium 78
Science and Religion from Copernicus to Darwinism
Enrollment: Open to College Honors/College Scholars students
Requirements fulfilled: This course satisfies the following requirements: General Education — Historical Analysis (Society & Culture), General Education — Philosophical & Linguistic Analysis (Arts & Humanities)
Course Description: Seminar, three hours. Are science and religion incompatible? It appears so, but struggles of scientists such as Darwin, Galileo, and Newton tell far richer story. Sometimes supporting each other, sometimes in competition, science and religion were, and remain, in constant dialog. Letter grading.
Professor Amir Alexander
I am a historian of science, and have published four books on the interconnections between abstract mathematics and human society. I have long been fascinated by the complex and constantly shifting relationship between science and religion.
Q & A
What is your home department at UCLA? History Department
How long have you been teaching your HC seminar? This is my second time teaching this seminar. The first time was back in 2014.
What is your favorite part about teaching this HC seminar? The students! My HC students were smart, hard-working, and passionate about the topic. It was a true pleasure to teach them.
What do you find to be the most compelling about the subject matter of this seminar? Science and religion are often portrayed as irreconcilable opposites, two mutually-exclusive ways of understanding the world. But as this seminar shows, a historical examination reveals a far more complex, and far more interesting relationship.
Science and religion have sometimes been rivals, but just as often allies, supporting each other in the quest for truth. And they have always been in dialogue, prodding and shaping each other through the centuries.
What are the learning objectives for this course? Some of the students will undoubtedly arrive at the class with strong opinions on science, religion, and the proper relationship between them. My objective is not to change their minds, but it is to challenge some of their assumptions, which they may take for granted. My hope is that they will walk away from the class with a stronger appreciation of both science and religion, and an understanding that the relationship between the two is far from simple, and is constantly evolving.