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Foundations of Physical Science II: Optics and the Nature of Light | 2025

Light and the faculty of vision have been subjects of considerable interest from antiquity on. This course will trace the growth in our understanding of the nature of light from the first, groping ideas of the Ancient Greeks up through the work of Kepler, Descartes, Newton, Huygens, Young and others.

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Price

$1,500.00

Level

200

Timing

Q4

Format

Live

About this course

Light and the faculty of vision have been subjects of considerable interest from antiquity on. This course will trace the growth in our understanding of the nature of light from the first, groping ideas of the Ancient Greeks up through the work of Kepler, Descartes, Newton, Huygens, Young and others.

This course will lay the groundwork for a future one-quarter course on electricity and magnetism, which will culminate in the unexpected integration of light and electromagnetism in the work of James Clerk Maxwell.

As in “Foundations of Physical Science 1: Motion and Gravitation,” we will proceed hierarchically. Our focus will be on understanding how our knowledge of light was built up step by step, with each new development growing out of the context set by previous discoveries and grounded at every stage in perceptual observation.

This is a one-quarter course running July – September 2025.

Course Prerequisites

Foundations of Physical Science I: Motion and Gravitation
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Instructors

Keith Lockitch
Dr. Lockitch is ARI vice president of education and a senior fellow. Dr. Lockitch trains students in how to communicate philosophic ideas and uses his background as a physicist to apply Ayn Rand’s ideas to crucial issues in science and technology. Dr. Lockitch received his PhD in physics from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and has conducted postdoctoral research in relativistic astrophysics.

About Ayn Rand University​

Ayn Rand described Objectivism as “a philosophy for living on earth.” This idea is at the heart of the Ayn Rand University, an online school of philosophy whose mission is to educate our students about Objectivism and to provide them with the intellectual, career, and life guidance they need to flourish.
Ayn Rand University provides an online educational experience, giving you the flexibility to attend from anywhere in the world. Each quarter, you’ll take one or more courses that feature lectures, graded assignments, classroom discussion, and feedback from our expert faculty. You may also meet regularly with one of our mentors, who will work with you to help you reach your learning and career goals so you can achieve success in thought and action. Though our program is demanding, most students find that they can succeed by devoting about 10 hours a week to their studies. And while we strongly encourage live attendance, all of our classes are recorded so that you can conveniently fit our classes into your schedule.