The Scientific Revolution and Universities HEDDA, 12.11.2007, vidar.enebakk@iakh.uio.no

HEDDA, 12.11.2007, vidar.enebakk@iakh.uio.no

Clearly, the question of the contribution of universities to this Scientific Revolution must hinge upon precisely how that revolution is viewed. ( Porter 1996, 536) When ? 1543 or 1300-1800? Who ? Copernicus, Bacon, Newton? What ? Worldview, Method, Institution? What for ? Religion, Technology, Power? Western ? ’The West and the Rest’

Clearly, the question of the contribution of universities

to this Scientific Revolution must hinge upon precisely

how that revolution is viewed. ( Porter 1996, 536)

When ? 1543 or 1300-1800?

Who ? Copernicus, Bacon, Newton?

What ? Worldview, Method, Institution?

What for ? Religion, Technology, Power?

Western ? ’The West and the Rest’

Ptolemy (100 AC) Copernicus (1543) Tycho Brahe (1588) Johannes Kepler (1609)

Galileo Galilei (1632) Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems

Intervening and Inventing Caravaggio (1602) The Incredulity of Thomas Vesalius (1543) On the fabric of the human body Robert Boyle (1660) New Experiments Physico-Mechanical: Touching the Spring of the Air and their Effects

Ancients VS Modern ’ The Battle of the Books ’ Jonathan Swift (1697)

Ancients

VS

Modern

The Great Restauration Nicolas Copernicus (1627) Temple of Astronomy Francis Bacon (1620) Instauratio Magna

The Great

Restauration

Standing on the Shoulders of Giant Chartres Cathedral (1225) ’ South Rose Window’

Standing on the Shoulders of Giant

The Scientific ’ Revolution’ Nicolas Copernicus (1543) On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres Execusion of Charles I in 1649 Restoration of Charles II in 1660

The

Scientific

’ Revolution’

1. Koyré Thesis Koyré (1939) Galileo Studies ” The Scientific Revolution” Copernicus (1543) -> Newton (1687) ” Newtonian Synthesis” Mechanism + Mathematization Isaac Newton (1687) Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica

Koyré (1939) Galileo Studies ” The Scientific Revolution”

Copernicus (1543) -> Newton (1687)

” Newtonian Synthesis” Mechanism + Mathematization

2. Duhem Thesis Pierre Duhem (1913) Galileo’s Parisian Predecessors Continuity (Catholicism) University of Paris: Buridan and Oresme Nicole Orseme and the Earth

Pierre Duhem (1913) Galileo’s Parisian Predecessors

Continuity (Catholicism)

University of Paris:

Buridan and Oresme

3. Crombie Thesis Alistair Crombie (1953) Robert Grosseteste and the Origins of Experimental Science 1100–1700 Grosseteste & Roger Bacon at Oxford University Rationalism –> Empiricism Roger Bacon of Oxford

Alistair Crombie (1953) Robert Grosseteste and the Origins of Experimental Science 1100–1700

Grosseteste & Roger Bacon at Oxford University

Rationalism –> Empiricism

4. Shapiro Thesis Barbara Shapiro (1983): Probability and certainty in seventeenth-century England Humanist attack on Scholasticism The attack on scholasticism was perhaps the most important intellectual contribution of the humanists to the scientific movement. Galileo Galilei (1632) Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems

Barbara Shapiro (1983):

Probability and certainty in seventeenth-century England

Humanist attack on Scholasticism

The attack on scholasticism was perhaps the most important intellectual contribution of the humanists to the scientific movement.

5. Yates Thesis Frances Yates (1964) Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition Alchemy and Mysticism Science as Experiment Joseph Wright (1771) The Alchemist, in Search of the Philosopher’s Stone

Frances Yates (1964) Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition

Alchemy and Mysticism

Science as Experiment

6. Zilsel Thesis Edgar Zilsel (1942) ”The Sociological Roots of Scientific Thought” Science from Craftsmen or ”Artist-Engineers” Leonardo da Vinci (1505) Albrecht Dürer (1525)

Edgar Zilsel (1942) ”The Sociological Roots of Scientific Thought”

Science from Craftsmen or ”Artist-Engineers”

7. Merton Thesis Robert K. Merton (1938) Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England Science and Puritanism (Weber) The Other Merton Thesis (Marx) Thomas Sprat (1667) History of the Royal Society Leonhard Zubler (1607) Novum instrumentum geometricum

Robert K. Merton (1938)

Science, Technology and Society in Seventeenth Century England

Science and Puritanism (Weber)

The Other Merton Thesis (Marx)

8. Hessen Thesis Boris Hessen (1931) ”The Social Roots of Newton’s Principia ” Foci of Interest The brilliant successes of natural science during the sixteenth and seventeenth century were conditioned by the disintegration of the feudal economy, the development of merchant capital, of international maritime relationships and of heavy (mining) industry. F.J. Henckel (1725), Pyrotologia William Roy (1790) Account of the trigonometrical operation

Boris Hessen (1931) ”The Social Roots of Newton’s Principia ”

Foci of Interest

9. Needham Thesis Joseph Needham (1954-) Science and Civilization in China Compass Paper Print Gun Powder =Four Great Inventions of Ancient China ( 四大发明 ) Francis Bacon (1620) Novum Organum : Printing, gunpowder and the compass: These three have changed the whole face and state of things throughout the world; the first in literature, the second in warfare, the third in navigation; whence have followed innumerable changes, insomuch that no empire, no sect, no star seems to have exerted greater power and influence in human affairs than these mechanical discoveries. Karl Marx (1861-63) Economic Manuscripts : Gunpowder, the compass, and the printing press were the three great inventions which ushered in bourgeois society. Gunpowder blew up the knightly class, the compass discovered the world market and founded the colonies, and the printing press was the instrument of Protestantism and the regeneration of science in general; the most powerful lever for creating the intellectual prerequisites.

Joseph Needham (1954-)

Science and Civilization in China

Navigation and Construction Zheng He ( 1371 – 1433 )

10. Islamic Science

The Muslim Heritage Arabic Numbers Fibonacci (1202) Liber abbaci I II III IV V VI VII VIII XI X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (0) Astrolabe

Arabic Numbers

Fibonacci (1202) Liber abbaci

I II III IV V VI VII VIII XI X

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 (0)

Roy Porter (Part 1) Between Internalism and Externalism [If] the broad sociological explanations of the Scientific Revolution assumed to much, this idealist account, surely, denies too much. (p. 542) None of the above readings of the Scientific Revolution can allow any major initiatory or formative role to the university. (p. 540)

Between Internalism and Externalism

[If] the broad sociological explanations of the Scientific Revolution assumed to much, this idealist account, surely, denies too much. (p. 542)

None of the above readings of the Scientific Revolution can allow any major initiatory or formative role to the university. (p. 540)

Porter (Part 2) Between Everything and Nothing If the universities were not oases of science, neither were they utter deserts (Porter 1996, 533) Examining the evidence Education Employment Conseptual Change The great scientific revolutionaries rejected Aristotle; but it was their academic grounding in Aristotle that gave them the ability to do it (Porter 1996, 551)

Between Everything and Nothing

If the universities were not oases of science, neither were they utter deserts (Porter 1996, 533)

Examining the evidence

Education

Employment

Conseptual Change

The great scientific revolutionaries rejected Aristotle; but it was their academic grounding in Aristotle that gave them the ability to do it (Porter 1996, 551)

Porter (Part 3) A Scientific Revolution – from within [The] Scientific Revolution involved a revolution ’from within’, in theorethical and academic science. (Porter 1996, 551) [The] essence of the Scientific Revolution lies in fundamental transformations made in conceptualizations of nature (Porter 1996, 559) [The] early modern university did not, as an institution, habitually forster collective scientific investigation. (Porter 1996, 547) Thenceforth, the university shared the advancement of science with other plants for intellectual production, such as the courtly academy, the voluntary society, and specialized research centers like observatories. (Porter 1996, 560)

A Scientific Revolution – from within

[The] Scientific Revolution involved a revolution ’from within’,

in theorethical and academic science. (Porter 1996, 551)

[The] essence of the Scientific Revolution lies in fundamental transformations made in conceptualizations of nature (Porter 1996, 559)

[The] early modern university did not, as an institution, habitually forster collective scientific investigation. (Porter 1996, 547)

Thenceforth, the university shared the advancement of science with other plants for intellectual production, such as the courtly academy, the voluntary society, and specialized research centers like observatories. (Porter 1996, 560)