One textbook for this course is
Cosmology
The Science of the Universe (2nd Edition)
[ISBN 0 521 66148 X]
by Edward Harrison.
This book gives a thorough explication of both the science and philosophy
of cosmology. It provides technical details for those who are interested.
Another text is
Cosmology:
Historical, Literary, Philosophical, Religious, and Scientific Perspectives by Hetherington et al.
This book amalgamates the work of many authors, and spans the gamut of human
thought from the earliest civilizations to modern science.
A smaller text is
Cosmos of the Ancients
The Greek Philosophers on Myth and Cosmology
[ISBN 978-1-4196-2773-6]
by Stefan Stenudd.
This book gives a concise summary of the important ancient Greek philosophers.
The main texts are erudite and rather dense.
A more accessible tale is told in
Coming of Age in the
Milky Way
[ISBN 0-06-053595-4] by Timothy Ferris.
Additional readings, to be assigned as appropriate:
Some biographical information about scientists important to the
Copernican Revolution:
AIP web page
Copernicus biography
Brahe biography
Kepler biography
Galileo biography
The Galileo Project
Modern works on cosmology and the "dark sector:"
Many lives in many worlds
by Max Tegmark
The Case Against
Cosmology by
Mike
Disney
Sociology of Modern Cosmology by
Martin Lopez-Corredoira
Humans and Cosmology: Epicycles, Tenacious Beliefs and Test Particles in Motion by
Greg
Bothun
Dark Matter is Dead
by Marcus Chown
Does Dark Matter Really Exist?
by Moti Milgrom
Battlefield
Galactica: Dark Matter vs. MOND by
Govert Schilling