Scientists’ biographies: From heroes to men

21 Outubro 2019, 16:00 • Ana Duarte Rodrigues

Scientific biographies regarding the biographical genre in general.

• The identity of scientific biographies and their relationship to hagiographies.

• Problems raised by scientific biographies.

• The first scientific biographies.

• Comparison between mathematical Vite and artist Vite.

• Galileo's various biographies: From genius to courtier.

• The almost absence of biographies of Portuguese scientists.

• Presentation of the text by a student and discussion among the group.

 

Mandatory reading: TERRALL, Mary, “Biography as Cultural History of Science,” ISIS 27 (2006), 306-313.