Università Roma Tre

During the early modern period, unprecedented economic, political, and cultural interconnections played a significant role in shaping new images of the world. Through the examination of historical and literary sources, we will analyze these transformations from a dual perspective.

I. Introductory Section on the Roots of Globalization
We will investigate the changes in concepts and practices of sovereignty prompted by the emergence of the first colonial empires. Additionally, we will explore how these changes influenced the formation of paradigms that support 'global' or 'connected' interpretations of social phenomena, delving into their origins, methodologies, and impacts.

II. Monographic Part: The Languages of Technology
In the second part of the course, we will examine the origins and evolution of global communication systems. This section will explore the utopias of universal languages that emerged during the Renaissance and investigate the dynamics that have shaped contemporary scientific idioms. We will delve into the characteristics of the system through which we develop scientific knowledge in the contemporary world, examining its cultural role and political uses.

In this course, we will examine key scientific and literary texts from the early modern and modern periods. See bibliography.

The general references are:

- Jürgen Osterhammel, Niels P. Petersson, Dona Geyer, Globalization: A Short History, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021.
- Peter N. Stearns, Globalization in World History, London: Routledge, 2020

Selected Bibliography:

F. Bacon, The New Atlantis;
F. Bacon, Novum Organum;
G. Galilei, Il saggiatore;
C. Linnaeus, Systema Naturae;
W. Shakespeare, The Tempest;
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G. Anders, The Outdatedness of Human Beings (The obsolescence of man);
H. Arendt, The Human Condition;
M. P. Crosland, Historical Studies in the Language of Chemistry;
P. Findlen, Possessing Nature: Museums, Collecting, and Scientific Culture in Early Modern Italy;
T. S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions;
J von Sachs, Geschichte der Botanik vom 16. Jahrhundert bis 1860;
F. Webster, Theories of the Information Society.