HST 786

In the early centuries of Islam, the study of the natural world was held in high esteem. Scientists and engineers were called upon to solve practical problems that emerged with the new religion. Debates occurred over whether, and to what extent, scientific inquiry was appropriate in Islam. This course surveys major developments in scientific knowledge and technological know-how, from the 7th-century rise of Islam to 1600 CE, along with their impacts upon the Western world.