Science and Creation: from Eternal Cycles to an Oscillating UniverseScience History Publications, 1974 - 367 עמודים "This is the first systematic probing into perhaps the most puzzling, but least discussed fact of cultural history: the birth of science. Cultural history abounds in parallel achievements, but it happended only once, between 1250 and 1650, that rudimentary science turned into a self-sustaining enterprise. Such a singular process can hardly be without a lesson, the grasp of which might be of crucial importance for the future of mankind. To unfold this lesson the author, Stanley L. Jaki, Distinguished University Professor at Seton Hall University, New Jersey, and an internationally renowned historian and philosopher of science, first gives a detailed analysis of ancient Hindu, Chinese, Maya, Egyptian, Babylonian, and Greek cultures, all of which, especially the Greek, could boast a valuable start in science. Yet, in all of them, science suffered a stillbirth. They all failed to muster up a sufficient measure faith in progress, confidence in the rationality of the universe, appreciation of the quantitative method, and a depersonalized view of the process of motion, all qualities which are the main features of the scientific quest. Because the Koran overemphasized the will of the Creator, Muslim scholars fell prey to a mistrust in the validity of rational laws, and as a result science came to a standstill among the Arabs as well. Quite different was the case in the Christian, medieval West, where the biblical faith in the Creator permeated for the first time a whole culture and effectively produced the qualities described above. The ultimate result was the rise of classical physics. Such is the main theme of a highly original book, in which an astonishing wealth of information is marshalled to unfold, as the author states, 'the ultimate consequences of some basic presuppositions'. The work is a classic effort of synthesis, full of drama that vibrates through the long history of science" -- publisher description. |
תוכן
The Treadmill of Yugas | 1 |
The Lull of Yin and Yang | 25 |
The Wheels of Defeat | 49 |
זכויות יוצרים | |
12 קטעים אחרים שאינם מוצגים
מהדורות אחרות - הצג הכל
מונחים וביטויים נפוצים
according al-Biruni ancient Egyptian animals animistic antiquity Arab Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle's astrology astronomy Averroes Aztec Babylonian basic beginning belief Berossos biblical Blanqui Book Brethren of Purity celestial century B.C. chap Chinese Christian claim classic concept consisted cosmic cosmology cosmos created creation Creator cultural cycles cyclic Descartes divine doctrine earth edited endless English translation Epicurus eternal recurrences everything evidence existence fact faith finite Galileo geometry gods Greek heavens Hindu History of Science human Ibid idea of eternal Inca Indian infinite intellectual interpretation Koran laws logical man's mathematics matter Maya medieval mind modern motion Muslim nature Nietzsche noted Oresme organismic original oscillating universe pantheistic passage pattern period phase Philoponus philosophical physical planets Plato principle question rational reason reference returns scientific sense speculations stars Stoics theological theory things thought Tiamat tion turn ultimate University Press words world view Yahweh Yin and Yang ziggurats