21810421 - THE ROOTS OF GLOBALIZATION: EUROPEAN EXPANSION AND COLONIALISM

The aim of the module is to provide an historical understanding of globalization from the early modern period to the present. Student will be introduced to key themes in the history of globalization (such as: networks; migration (forced and free); imperialism; inequalities; trade and consumption; technological revolutions) and theoretical debates on the topic. At the end of the module students will be able to understand development and evolution of the globalization process through the centuries, to evaluate how it shaped people’s life since the sixteenth century, and to consider current debates in an historical perspective.
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Programma

The Languages of Technology
This course delves into the origins and evolution of global communication systems. It examines the utopias of universal languages that emerged during the Renaissance and investigates the dynamics that shaped contemporary scientific idioms.

Testi Adottati

In this course, we will examine key scientific and literary texts from the early modern and modern periods. See bibliography.

Bibliografia Di Riferimento

F. Bacon, The New Atlantis; F. Bacon, Novum Organum; G. Galilei, Il saggiatore; C. Linnaeus, Systema Naturae; W. Shakespeare, The Tempest; - G. Anders, The Outdatedness of Human Beings; H. Arendt, The Human Condition; M. P. Crosland, Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry; P. Findlen, Possessing Nature: Museums, Collecting, and Scientific Culture in Early Modern Italy; T. S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; J von Sachs, Geschichte der Botanik vom 16. Jahrhundert bis 1860; F. Webster, Theories of the Information Society.

Modalità Frequenza

Regular attendance in class is crucial, considering the course format.

Modalità Valutazione

Final exam: students attending classes will be required to give a book presentation, followed by a discussion on the topics covered.