Invention and Discovery in the Renaissance (P01702)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : LLC-P-P01702

Course description

This course will examine changing attitudes towards invention and discovery in the Renaissance (c. 1500-1620). Inherited from classical rhetoric, the term 'invention', in its etymological meaning of finding out or discovering, will provide the focus for an interdisciplinary study of debates about innovation in different areas of Renaissance thought (rhetoric and poetics, the arts and aesthetic theory, science and technology). The aim of the course will be to familiarise students with the methods of interdisciplinary and comparative research and to develop their ability to examine texts within their intellectual and cultural contexts.

? Keywords : Renaissance
Invention and Discovery
Comparative and Interdisciplinary Approaches

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Common Courses (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures), (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : To be arranged/Unknown

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete the course will have acquired an in-depth knowledge and understanding of Renaissance debates concerning invention and innovation. In particular, they will have acquired:

- skills necessary to interpret philosophical, historical, literary and visual documents and the ability to situate them in their intellectual contexts

- a broad knowledge of Renaissance disciplinary divisions and the ways in which they differ from our own

- a familiarity with the methods of interdisciplinary and comparative research

- an understanding of the major intellectual currents of Renaissance thought, such as Aristotelianism, Platonism, Scepticism, and humanism, which were either espoused or challenged by innovative thinkers

- an appreciation of how words and concepts change over time, and how closely their meaning reflects the specific contexts in which they occur

Further they will also be able to:

- examine critically existing studies and approaches to the subject

- explore primary source material and engage in independent research

- prepare and present their own work for seminars and workshops

- actively participate in group discussion
- efficiently access library and IT resources