History of the Foundations of Physics

The course aims to provide students with a comprehension of the development of early-modern and contemporary physics through a study of some historically significant cases. The course may be useful for the conception, organization and coordination of cultural activities and projects concerning the history of physics and its relationships with philosophy.

At the end of the course, the student
- knows the fundamental elements of the development of early-modern and contemporary physics
- knows the details, including some mathematical demonstrations and experimental results, of some important discoveries of early-modern and contemporary physics
- understands the relationships between the history of scientific thought and the history of philosophy and the philosophy of science

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course the student
- can apply the knowledge acquired in situating authors and texts historically
- can apply the scientific lexicon of early-modern and contemporary physics to the analysis and discussion of texts and problems
- can apply the understanding of the historical relationships between science and philosophical doctrines to the analysis and discussion of texts and problems.