Module manager: Gregory Radick
Email: G.M.Radick@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is approved as a discovery module
Controversies rage over science in our modern world. Devout Christians and Muslims battle biologists over the truth of the Darwinian theory of human origins from the animals. Parents, desperate to do the right thing, try to decide whether their child should or should not receive the MMR vaccine. Britain and the United States invade Iraq, with consequences still unfolding, because they fear ‘weapons of mass destruction’. How did the world come to be like this? In this module, we turn to history for answers, and with them a new perspective on our conflicted present. Looking in particular at the rise of the Darwinian theory, the rise of the germ theory of disease, and the invention of the atomic bomb, we will discover how science became modern and how it transformed the world in its wake. Whatever your main degree, this module is for you. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
This module has three main objectives. Firstly, that you will examine a broad range of theories and technologies to do with the rise of Darwinian biology, Pasteurian medicine and nuclear physics. and recognise how these have arisen in connection with debates around broader social, political and economic issues over the past 200 years.
Secondly, that you will in turn critically assess the received historical wisdom about the origins, nature and social impacts of these sciences, considered both in themselves and as exemplary of science in general. And thirdly, in evaluating the arguments and analyses of a range of primary and secondary sources, you will develop a well-informed view of how the modern world has been shaped by the sciences and vice versa.
The learning activities in this module achieve these objectives by introducing you to a series of key episodes in the history of socially relevant modern science. Lectures provide an overarching historical framework for the module, as well as outlining key developments, whilst also suggesting new and challenging interpretations with which you will engage further through group discussions and private study. In seminars you will continue to examine and debate the meaning and merits of these historical ideas and events, whilst responding to academic sources that offer contrasting accounts and methodologies, and applying your own critical judgements.
Subject specific learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
LO1: Describe the origins and impact of at least one of the major scientific developments studied in the module.
LO2: Analyse these developments in the context of the changing relationship between science and society, including anti-science movements.
LO3: Formulate sympathetic and historically well-informed accounts of beliefs about the natural world that are now unfamiliar or derided.
LO4: Evaluate claims about the nature of science.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
LO5: Communicate ideas and understanding clearly and concisely, using appropriate academic language (Academic and Work Ready skill)
LO6: Use appropriate primary and secondary source material to support knowledge and analysis of topics (Academic, Work Ready, and Digital skill)
Indicative topics include:
The Darwinian theory of evolution
Science and religion
The germ theory of disease
Science and politics
The creation of the atomic bomb
Science and war
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Tutorial | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 85 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 15 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
The mark and detailed, marking-criteria-aligned feedback received on the short-answer essay submitted midway through the module functions as formative feedback for the longer summative assessment submitted at the end of the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | Short answer essay | 25 |
| Essay | Essay | 75 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Resits for the essay will take the same form as the original assessment. Students resitting the essay must select a different essay question from the options provided for the original attempt.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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