1. St. Petersburg, 2016

2. Lecture 2. Pre-Modern Science
Alexander A. Lvov, PhD
St. Petersburg, 2016

3. Agenda Science in the early states of East
Science in Antiquity (а): the principles of theoretical knowledge
Science in Antiquity (b): «knowledge» VS «opinion»
Science in Middle Ages: from the dogmas of religion to the universities’ autonomy

4. Science in the early states of East
Pre-scientific knowledge could be defined as the archaic way of thinking, or ethnical science. It is quite complicated and vast, and It contains such achievements as complex numeral systems, calendars, nature observation and the sets of astronomic, geographic, medical, technical knowledge. Such a knowledge existed within the oral tradition and was maintained by rituals and practice.
Science in the early states of East
Ancient China;
Ancient India;
Ancient Egypt;
Mesopotamia

5. Science in the early states of East
Characteristics of science of the early states:
Closed groups that possess knowledge;
Religious elements in knowledge;
Demand for practice (prescription in knowledge);
Variety of unsystematized data
Science in the early states of East

6. the knowledge as a whole system with a complete set of positions
Science in Antiquity (а): the principles of theoretical knowledge
φρόνησις
the knowledge of the proper and not proper, to put it, a form of practical wisdom
γνώσις
the knowledge as a whole system with a complete set of positions
Knowledge
ἐπιστήμη
the study of something, or learning of something: we could probably call it science in terms of the set of positions and rules in this precise field
μάθημα
the knowledge of something that could be taught, for instance, how to count

7. Thales of Miletus (640/624 – 548/545 BC) Pythagoras of Samos
Science in Antiquity (а): the principles of theoretical knowledge
Thales of Miletus
(640/624 – 548/545 BC)
Pythagoras of Samos
(540 – 490 BC)

8. Hippocrates (c. 460 – 377/356 BC) Euclid (IV BC)
Science in Antiquity (а): the principles of theoretical knowledge
Hippocrates
(c. 460 – 377/356 BC)
Euclid
(IV BC)

9. Science in Antiquity (а): the principles of theoretical knowledge
Interrelation of temperaments of people and nature in terms of Hippocrates
In Hippocrates’s work “On the nature of man” we find “theoretical completion, a genuine scheme which organizes the medical experience”
(G. Reale, D. Antiseri)

10. Two kinds of thought in Greek philosophy
Science in Antiquity (b): «knowledge» VS «opinion»
Two kinds of thought in Greek philosophy
δόξα
Empirical, unproven half-knowledge of transient and becoming
ἐπιστήμη
Theoretical, proven learning of the true state of things

11. Thales Anaxagoras Socrates Plato Academy Aristotle
Science in Antiquity (b): «knowledge» VS «opinion»
Seven sages
Thales
Eleatic school (Parmenides and Zeno)
Ionic School
(also Heraclitus)
Pythagoras and Pythagoreans
Anaxagoras
Sophists and
Socrates
Democritus
Cynics
Socratic schools (in Megara, Elis, Cyrene)
Plato
Epicureans
Sceptics
Stoics
Academy
Aristotle
and peripatetics
Neoplatonists

12. The main epistemological milestones:
Science in Middle Ages: from the dogmas of religion to the universities’ autonomy
The scientific knowledge of Middle Ages is represented by the terms doctrina and scientia (see M. Heidegger “Die Zeit des Weltbildes”)
The Divine revelation is the source of any knowledge;
Medieval science is authoritative knowledge;
The means of knowledge is the interpretation of the Holy Scripture (hermeneutics)
The main epistemological milestones:
The problem of universals;
The dogma of Filioque;
St. Thomas Aquinas’s ‘Christianization’ of Aristotle

13. Medieval physics (of Aristotle – Aquinas)
Science in Middle Ages: from the dogmas of religion to the universities’ autonomy
Medieval physics (of Aristotle – Aquinas)
Metaphysical world of causes and immobility
God as primum mobile
Physical world
of motion and becoming

14. Science in Middle Ages: from the dogmas of religion to the universities’ autonomy

15. Alchemy and Hermeticism
Science in Middle Ages: from the dogmas of religion to the universities’ autonomy
Alchemy and Hermeticism
The word ‘Hermeticism’ comes from the name of Hermes Trismegistus, the legendary magus and wizard of ancient times.
On the one hand, Hermes was considered to be the author of various alchemic treatises (the tradition of authority)…
…on the other, there appears the tendency to experimental science (Roger Bacon, Paracelsus, John Dee, etc.)

16. The example of the examination task:
How to deal with the examination task
The example of the examination task:
Develop the concept of anthropocentrism and its connection to the classical science and studies of nature in XVII—XVIII centuries.
Possible answer:
Anthropocentrism: the human being gives order and law to the world. — Experimental attitude to the scientific study of the world. — The secularization of knowledge (the Book of nature has been written in the mathematical language). — The appearance of classical science of XVII century: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton. — The phenomenon of science as studies of nature by the means of mathematics. — Newton’s laws make possible to create the picture of the world without any hypotheses of God. — Truth as certainty. (7 statements)
Possible key words:
Modern anthropocentrism; Ancient cosmocentrism; Medieval theocentricism: experiment; secularization; mathematical means in science; truth as certainty; scientific picture of the world; the doctrine of method; classical science.

17. Thank you for your attention!
St. Petersburg, 2016