New Ways of Knowing Integrative Seminar

New Ways of Knowing Integrative Seminar is a Natural Science course taught by Herbert J. Bernstein.

This course requires prerequisites. This course requires instructor permission.

Course Description
From energy systems, to economic crises, to protection against terrorists; from supplying new food organisms, to war in South Central Asia; modern society turns to science for solutions. But the sciences also proliferate side-effects -- ranging from toxic military pollution, through unforeseen biological disruption, to global warming. Do we need "new ways of knowing" to address the personal/political problem of combining disciplinary excellence with social good? Participants study reconstructive knowledge and APPLY it to their own work. We read the instructor's two books and those of Foucault, Keller, etc., to help reconstruct what we each DO as knowledge workers -- our projects, concentrations and theses. The real-world efforts at ISIS (Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Study) help launch creative discussion of our own work. Previous students commend this course for remarkable effects in divisional work, graduate school and their professional lives. Instructor permission is required. Prerequisite: some experience with critical analysis and a well-developed undergraduate field of excellence.

Reading Questions
Should be posted on the Reading Questions subpage