History

Student-athlete "Joe" Vogt ‘25 Earns Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

patenaude — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:00:38 +0000

Student-athlete "Joe" Vogt ‘25 Earns Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence patenaude Thu, 05/01/2025 - 12:00

The Science of Music: Knowledge Production In Medieval Baghdad and Beyond

patenaude — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 18:02:29 +0000

The Science of Music: Knowledge Production In Medieval Baghdad and Beyond

Friday, January 24, 2025

patenaude Fri, 01/24/2025 - 13:02

The Science of Music cover art (Image provided)

Mohammad Sadegh Ansari

Summary

This book is a remarkable exploration of how music, mathematics, philosophy and cosmology interacted, were learned, studied, patronized and transmitted in medieval Baghdad, from the earliest translations of Greek texts through the classic works by al-Kindi, al-Farabi, and al-Urmawi, to the lesser-known works of later commentators.

Abstract

How did the medieval Islamic intellectual tradition conceptualize and produce scientific knowledge? What can we learn about medieval Islamic civilizations from theway they examined and studied the universe? In answering these fundamental questions, Mohammad Sadegh Ansari provides a unique perspective for the study of both musicology and intellectual history. Widely considered to be an art today, music in the medieval Islamic world was categorized as one of the four branches of the mathematical sciences, alongside arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy; indeed, some philosophers and scholars of music went as far as linking music with medicine and astrology as part of an interconnected web of cosmological knowledge. This innovative book raises fascinating questions about how designating music a 'science' rather than an 'art' impacts our understanding of truth, and reconstructs a richly holistic medieval system of knowledge in the process.

Main research question

What was already known

The book draws inspiration from recent scholarship by scholars who have attempted to repurpose modern analytical lenses such as religion and secularism to study similar and yet distinct phenomena in the medieval period, Islamic and otherwise.

What or how does your research add to the field/discussion?

This book raises fascinating questions about how designating music a 'science' rather than an 'art' impacts our understanding of truth, and reconstructs a richly holistic medieval system of knowledge in the process.

Ansari, Mohammad Sadegh. The Science of Music: Knowledge Production in Medieval Baghdad and Beyond. Cambridge University Press, 2024.

Cambridge University Press (2024)

Cope Awarded $500K Mellon Grant for Humanities Project

rime — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 18:48:25 +0000

Cope Awarded $500K Mellon Grant for Humanities Project rime Tue, 01/21/2025 - 13:48

Cultural Studies 4+1

barkan — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:54:40 +0000

Cultural Studies 4+1 barkan Tue, 11/26/2024 - 13:54

Sample Courses

Interpretations in History
Research in History

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The British Isles, 1485–1603
Early America, 1000–1775
The Gilded Age and Progressive Era, 1877–1918
History of Modern Mexico
Iroquois History from Precontact to Present
Nationalism and Ethnic Violence
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Women in the Medieval World

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Partnership Programs

Program Highlights

Count 12 credits from senior year coursework toward a master’s program and complete a graduate degree in as little as one year.
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Example Careers

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Contact Info

Michael Leroy Oberg, Distinguished Professor of History
oberg@geneseo.edu
Doty Hall 208
585-245-5730

History Department

History Faculty

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Forty-five Years of Friendship

dreessen — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:55:30 +0000

Forty-five Years of Friendship dreessen Wed, 11/13/2024 - 15:55

Student-Faculty Research Team Selected for CUR Advocacy Program

patenaude — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 13:20:17 +0000

Student-Faculty Research Team Selected for CUR Advocacy Program patenaude Fri, 10/25/2024 - 09:20

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Launches New Study Abroad Option

dreessen — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 18:14:50 +0000

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Launches New Study Abroad Option dreessen Wed, 09/25/2024 - 14:14

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Ushers In a New Academic Year

rime — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:30:48 +0000

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Ushers In a New Academic Year rime Fri, 08/30/2024 - 10:30

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Announces New 3+3 Program with UB School of Law

rime — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 13:23:41 +0000

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Announces New 3+3 Program with UB School of Law rime Fri, 08/30/2024 - 09:23

Law 3+3

barkan — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:34:32 +0000

Law 3+3 barkan Tue, 08/27/2024 - 10:34

UB School of Law Experiential Learning Opportunities

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The Advocacy Institute

Pre-Law Advisory Program

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Pre-Law Advisory Program

Admission Requirements

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For current �鶹��ý�Ŷ� students: GPA of 3.0 or higher and a meeting with the pre-law advisor to assess 3+3 program eligibility.

Law 3+3

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The 3+3 BA/JD program with the University at Buffalo School of Law encourages students to accelerate their course of study by completing their Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor in just six years of full-time study, saving them one year’s worth of time and tuition.

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� students can choose majors in American studies; economics; English; geography; history; mathematics; philosophy; philosophy, politics, and economics; or sustainability studies. After three years at �鶹��ý�Ŷ�, students transfer to UB. Upon completing the first-year law school curriculum, students’ credits for the year are transferred to �鶹��ý�Ŷ� to complete their bachelor’s degree.

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Program Options

BA in American Studies + JD in Law
BA in Economics + JD in Law
BA in English (Creative Writing) + JD in Law
BA in English (Literature) + JD in Law
BA in Geography + JD in Law
BA in History + JD in Law
BA in Mathematics + JD in Law
BA in Philosophy + JD in Law
BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics + JD in Law
BA in Sustainability Studies + JD in Law

Program Highlights

Students enrolled in 3+3 programs at UB’s partner institutions like �鶹��ý�Ŷ� are able to take advantage of all the School of Law offers as early as their first year, including:

Free LSAT preparation workshops
Annual 3+3 networking reception and webinar
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Sample Legal Fields

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Corporate
Criminal
Environmental
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Contact Info

Prospective Students:
Kevin Reed, Assistant Director of Admissions
reedk@geneseo.edu
Doty Hall 200B
585-245-5435

Current Students:
Graham Drake, Professor of English
drake@geneseo.edu
Welles 217A
585-245-5266

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