Classical Reference Library
Explore the development of scientific thought and the changing ways human beings have sought to understand nature, from ancient philosophy and medieval cosmology to the emergence of modern experimental science.
STUDENT’S GUIDE · HISTORY OF SCIENCE & GEOLOGY
An accessible introduction to Georges Cuvier’s discoveries about fossils, extinction, and Earth’s changing history. Explains comparative anatomy, catastrophes, and the difference between scientific observations and explanations, with reading questions and activities.
Read resource →TEACHER’S GUIDE · HISTORY OF SCIENCE & GEOLOGY
A teaching guide to Georges Cuvier’s pioneering investigations of fossils, extinction, comparative anatomy, and catastrophic changes in Earth’s history. Includes historical context, discussion questions, classroom activities, and comparisons with modern science.
Read resource →HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Ian Johnston traces the changing understanding of science from ancient Greek natural philosophy through medieval cosmology to modern experimental science, exploring how the pursuit of knowledge shifted from contemplation of nature and its purposes toward prediction, control, and power.
Read resource →STUDENT’S GUIDE · EPICUREAN PHILOSOPHY & THE NATURAL WORLD
An accessible introduction to Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things, with an overview of its six books, explanations of important philosophical ideas, close-reading suggestions, discussion questions, and a classroom activity.
Read resource →TEACHER’S GUIDE · ENLIGHTENMENT SCIENCE & COSMIC ORIGINS
A guide to teaching Immanuel Kant’s Universal Natural History and Theory of the Heavens, exploring the nebular hypothesis, Newtonian physics, cosmic development, and the relationship between scientific explanation and religious belief. Includes close-reading passages, discussion questions, and classroom activities.
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