PHV447 Early Modern Science: Selected Chapters

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/2. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Daniel Špelda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Daniel Špelda, Ph.D.
Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Philosophy – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! PH01104 Chapters from the History of S
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 23 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to present so called Scientific Revolution of the 17th century when crucial changes took place in many disciplines. Individual lectures deal with presenting new methods and discoveris in the occult sciences, cosmology, astronomy, physics, biology and geology.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, student will be able to introduce the main conditions of the emergence of early modern science; to explain several breaking events in the history of science; to understand importance of philosophy for the development of scientific knowledge; to interpret important historical sources.
Syllabus
  • 1. The old and new world
  • 2. The connected world
  • 3. The world of new methods
  • 4. The supralunar world
  • 5. The sublunar world
  • 6. The microcosm and the living world
  • 7. The world which came of age
Literature
  • LEDVOŇOVÁ, Markéta, Daniel ŠPELDA, Vladimír ŠTEFL and Jana MALÁ. Galileo Galilei : Prubíř (Galileo Galilei : The Assayer). 1st ed. Praha - Brno: Togga, 2020, 351 pp. Fontes scientiae 3. ISBN 978-80-210-9538-0. info
  • FRANEK, Juraj, Daniel ŠPELDA, Jan NOVOTNÝ, Jindřiška SVOBODOVÁ and Helena DURNOVÁ. Isaac Newton : Matematické principy přírodní filozofie (Isaac Newton : The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy). 1st ed. Praha - Brno: Togga, 2020, 351 pp. Fontes scientiae 1. ISBN 978-80-210-9558-8. info
  • PETROVIĆOVÁ, Katarina, Daniel ŠPELDA and Vladimír ŠTEFL. Johannes Kepler : Nová astronomie (Johannes Kepler : New astronomy). 1st ed. Praha - Brno: Togga, 2020, 269 pp. Fontes scientiae 2. ISBN 978-80-210-9537-3. info
  • Hvězdný posel. Edited by Galileo Galilei - Johannes Kepler, Translated by Alena Hadravová - Pe. Vydání první. Příbram: Pistorius & Olšanská, 2016, 207 stran. ISBN 9788087855386. info
  • WOOTTON, David. The invention of science : a new history of the scientific revolution. First published. [London]: Allen Lane, 2015, xiv, 769. ISBN 9781846142109. info
  • PRINCIPE, Lawrence M. The scientific revolution : a very short introduction. First edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, xiv, 148. ISBN 9780199567416. info
  • Lexikon alchymie a hermetických věd. Edited by Claus Priesner - Karin Figala, Translated by Petr Babka. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2006, 342 s. ISBN 8070218150. info
  • The scientific revolution and the origins of modern science. Edited by John Henry. 2nd ed. New York: Palgrave, 2001, ix, 160 p. ISBN 0333960904. info
  • The scientific revolution. Edited by Steven Shapin. Chicago, Ill.: University of Chicago Press, 1996, xiv, 218 p. ISBN 9780226750224. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
written colloquium concerning the lectured subjects
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught every week.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: kombinovaná forma: 16 hodin/semestr.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Spring 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2026/PHV447