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This module aims explore the relationships between science, war and the prevention of war. We will place military and security technologies within social, political, and historical contexts.
Science, Warfare & Peace
There is particular emphasis on the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and on weapons usually designated as `unconventional’ or `weapons of mass destruction’. In addition to thinking about how science, technology and warfare have shaped each other, this module also considers the changing role of the scientist in relation to the state, and considers broader themes such as the arms control, disarmament, ethics, and popular culture in relation to war. Students attend one 2 hour lecture seminar per week.
Course Objectives:
By the end of this course you should:
- Be able to apply critical thinking to understanding issues around science, technology, war and security. In particular, perspectives from history and sociology of science.
- Have developed knowledge of the history and governance of modern military technologies, particularly so-called weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, nuclear).
- Have been able to write an extended essay on topics relevant to the
Course Syllabus:
