The Islamic Golden Age: Ideas That Changed The World




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ClassGraphic When you think about the rebirth and flowering of learning in the late Middle Ages, do you think primarily of Europe? In this study group, we will explore the Islamic world’s remarkable scientific and cultural achievements that preceded—and helped enable—the European Renaissance. Islamic scholars developed mathematics later used by Copernicus in his heliocentric model, advanced the study of astronomy and medicine, accurately described blood circulation, and made discoveries that laid groundwork for Newtonian physics. They preserved and translated ancient Greek texts, introduced the numbering system we use today, and brought innovations in music and culture, including the Persian lute, ancestor of the Spanish guitar. Using Jim al-Khalili’s engaging book The House of Wisdom: How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance (Penguin, 2010), we will trace these fascinating developments and consider two provocative questions: How much did Arabic learning contribute to the making of the modern Western world? And why did the Islamic world’s own golden age eventually fade? Join us in discovering this extraordinary and often overlooked chapter of world history.

Class Details

14 Session(s)
Weekly - Tue

Location
Wieboldt Hall

Instructor
Multiple

Tuition:  $0.00

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Schedule Information

Date(s) Class Days Times Location Instructor(s)
9/8/2026 - 12/8/2026 Weekly - Tue 09:45 AM - 11:45 AM Chicago, Wieboldt Hall  Map Timothy Atkins  ; Charles Kiefer