The human side of science.
Cool extras for your BSc or BEng.
The University of Canterbury is encouraging its Science and
Engineering students to take a number of courses in the Arts,
so ensuring the breadth and perspective that you need for a
well-rounded education and an edge in the employment
market. The Science and Humanities pathway offers a range of
courses that approach science and technology
from a different angle.
We invite you to explore the exciting territory at the intersection
of Science and the Humanities—from
biomedical ethics to science fiction, from
Ancient Greek cosmology to the Internet, from mathematical
logic to the function of consciousness, from UFOs
and parapsychology to Darwin and the origin
of life.
2010 Courses in Science and the Humanities
Pre-requisites
- 100 level
None
- 200 level
30 points in any subject(s) with the
written permission of the Head
of Humanities
100-Level Courses
Art and Architecture in Europe
This course provides an introduction to the study of
European art and examines key works of art and architecture from
the Renaissance to the beginning of the Eighteenth Century. Among
other things the course will deal with the ways in which new understandings
of scientific perspective, the nature of light and of human anatomy,
allowed artists to represent the world in new and dramatically
convincing ways.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken as part of a Science
degree.
This course focuses on the great myths told by the Greeks in
their literature and art to explain the nature of the cosmos
and the role of the human and divine within this cosmos. Myths
concerning the origins of the universe and the eventual rise
of Zeus and the Olympians to power will feature prominently.
So, too, will myths concerning culture heroes such as Prometheus,
the origins of human technology, and heroic figures such as Heracles,
Achilles, Odysseus and Helen of Troy. Critical reactions to these
stories by ancient philosophers - many of whom are considered
among the world's first scientists - will also be considered.
There will be discussion of the vast influence of Greek myth
on subsequent western culture from Botticelli to Byron to Brad
Pitt; and we shall critically examine psychological and other
modern theories inspired by Greek myth, including Freud's reading
of the Oedipus legend.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken
as part of a Science degree.
Media
and the Culture of Everyday Life
After the scientists and engineers have designed them,
what do people do with media technologies? Communication
devices and environments such as cell phones, the Internet, digital
games, TV and film all increasingly interact with each other,
and allow audiences and users to interact with them and with
other audiences and users in a remarkable variety of ways these
days. This course examines the cultural life of media technologies.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken
as part of a Science degree.
Communication Skills in the Sciences and the Arts
Writing the Academic Essay aims to help develop the capacity for analytical
thought about texts, arguments and language - a capacity that will lend itself
to a range of academic and professional contexts. As part of its focus
on the writing of clear and effective prose, the course also focuses on
crucial structural and rhetorical features of expository writing from different
fields, including technical and scientific subjects, helping an understanding
and control of effective communication. This course may be taken in either
semester.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken as part of a
Science degree.
Philosophers and mathematicians working together created the logical theory that has made the computer revolution possible. This work also produced astounding unexpected insights about the nature of reason and the relationship between mathematics and the mind. An introduction to formal logic, its scope and limits, MATH130 is taught jointy and with equal contributions by Philosophy and Mathematics, and is the flagship course for the UC Mathematics and Philosophy programme.
Do apricot kernels cure cancer? Did the face of Jesus once appear
on a toasted sandwich? This course explores how science has added
to human knowledge and how it can go wrong…from UFOs to TV shows!
This is a Science subject.
If God created the universe, then who created God? Are colours
inside your head or outside? Could a computer ever be conscious?
You cannot change the past - so why think that you can change
the future?
This is a Science subject.
Human beings are clearly the most intelligent creatures on the
planet. No other animal is capable of doing science or philosophy
or art. Yet this 'noble' creature also has an appalling history
of savagery, cruelty and evil on a monumental scale. Philosophers
have reflected on human nature and its contradictions for over
two thousand years. This course is an introduction to Western
philosophy through the thoughts of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant,
Marx, Nietzsche, Darwin, and other great thinkers, as they reflect
on human nature and the human condition.
This is a Science subject.
This course teaches techniques for
critical analysis and clear reasoning, and also the elements
of mathematical logic. It will equip you with the ultimate tools
for analytical thinking, problem solving, programming, and arguing.
You will learn methods for critically assessing any reasoning
- whether from science, engineering, mathematics, or everyday
life.
This is a Science subject.
Can war ever be justified? Is morality sensible and rational,
or just a matter of taste, personal opinion, or culture? Can
science or religion give us the answers? Do we have an obligation
to obey the law?
This is a Science subject.
200-Level Courses
Pre-requisite: Any 30 points
with the permission of the Head
of Humanities
This course will explore the representation of science and technology
in sci fi. Using movies such as Frankenstein to The
Matrix, and TV shows such as The Jetsons to Battlestar
Galactica, we will investigate the hopes and fears attributed
to science and technology.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken
as part of a Science degree.
This course explores the role of technology in shaping the
modern world. By focusing on a number of 'case studies', such
as the development of printing, military, chemical, industrial
and digital technologies, the course will address underlying
questions concerning the socio-historical contexts, design features,
functions and dispersion patterns of technological innovations.
This course will interest science and engineering students as
it will include topics in the history of science and selected
major advances in engineering.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken
as part of a Science degree.
May be offered on-line in Semester Two.
A laid-back tour of the high spots of modern mathematical logic.
No prior experience of logic is required.
This is an Arts subject that may be taken
as part of a Science degree.
An introduction to the Theory of Evolution in terms of science,
philosophy, intellectual history, and Darwin's biography.
This is a Science subject.
Why does the universe exist, rather than nothing? Does life
imply a designer? Is a person a non-physical soul? Is science
compatible with religion?
This is a Science subject.
An investigation of questions generated by the revolution in
information technology; eg. what are the prospects for a forthcoming
Age of Robots?
This is a Science subject.
Science has all manner of ethical implications. But what is ethics? Does
ethics have a rational foundation, or is it all just a matter of local
custom or of private opinion? Why should we take any notice of ethical
reviews of science?
This is a Science subject.
What is the mind? Evolutionary theory suggests that minds are
evolved organs for the control of behaviour. Cognitive Science
explores the idea that minds are computational systems. Phil238
is an introductory course on the mind sciences, using ideas from
biology, psychology, computational theory, and philosophy.
This is a Science subject.
A critical study of ethical problems arising from medicine,
healthcare and the biological sciences.
This is a Science subject.
World-renowned writer on the philosophical foundations of science,
Sir Karl Popper, taught at the University of Canterbury for eight
years as a refugee from Nazi Germany. His most famous book, written
while he was at Canterbury, is entitled The Open Society
and Its Enemies. This course studies Popper's work and,
in particular, the relevance of his work for our understanding
of knowledge, politics, right versus wrong, NZ Māori-Pakeha relations,
science versus pseudoscience, the advance of human consciousness
and human conscience, and the nature of the mind and of
the cosmos.
This is a Science subject.
What should we do about the environment? As everyone knows,
that is probably the most important question facing the human
race today. This course will introduce you to the theoretical
basis of environmental ethics.
This is a Science subject. |
