Transcript Chapter2
History and Civilization BCB 703: Scientific Methodology Available at http://planet.uwc.ac.za/nisl Faghrie Mitchell What is History? What is Science? What is Philosophy? What is History? What is Science? What is Philosophy? What is Curiosity? Almost in the beginning was curiosity. Asimov’s New Guide to Science (Asimov 1987) Early Man: Curiosity Science www.fi.edu CURIOSITY H I S EXPLORATION T O DISCOVERY R Y SCIENCE Ancient Egypt: Curiosity Science Osprey Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids www.touregypt.net www.touregypt.net Djoser 2630-2611 BC Djoser 2630-2611 BC Step Pyramid Saqqara, Egypt Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids Djoser 2630-2611 BC www.touregypt.net www.touregypt.net Snefru 2575-2551 BC Intermediate Pyramid Maidum, Egypt Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids www.touregypt.net Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Djoser 2630-2611 BC Smooth Pyramids Giza, Egypt Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Did the ancient Egyptians have science To build a pyramid you need to have knowledge and skills about stone and rock E.g. how much stone, how many men to cut and move the stone, etc (quantity surveying) E.g. how do I find good quality stone, how do I move the stone (geology and engineering (mathematics)) Evolution of pyramids is an example of the evolution of ancient Egyptian science Djoser Step 2630-2611 BC Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Ref: Shaw (2003) Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Did the ancient Egyptians have evolving science Ancient Egyptians had to improve their building techniques going from Step to Intermediate to Smooth pyramid (increasing difficulty and challenge of building a smooth pyramid) The Intermediate pyramid at Maidum could be seen as a prototype pyramid The Maidum pyramid is speculated to have been either abandoned, or to have collapsed because of the slope of the pyramid The lessons learnt from this pyramid and previous pyramids were: (1) to build on rock instead of sand and (2) to tilt the stone blocks inward to stabilise the pyramid (see next slide) Djoser Step 2630-2611 BC Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Images: www.touregypt.net Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? www.unmuseum.org Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Did the ancient Egyptians have science Did the ancient Egyptians have evolving science Did the ancient Egyptians have philosophy of science ??? So you do not need to have PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE to have SCIENCE? YES and NO Ref: Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? So you do not need to have PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE to have SCIENCE? YES and NO MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA can can SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can SCIENCE Ref: Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Conversely, you also have three similar paths, leading to NONSCIENCE, instead of SCIENCE MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA can can NONSCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can NONSCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can NONSCIENCE Ref: Ancient Egyptian Medicine The Evolution of pyramids serve to show that the ancient Egyptians had SCIENCE. I will now show a clearer example, to show ancient Egyptian SCIENCE and NONSCIENCE SCIENCE MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA NONSCIENCE Example: Ancient Egyptian Medicine Ref: Ancient Egyptian Medicine www.nyu.edu Example: Ancient Egyptian Medicine Some of the oldest scientific artifacts Edwin Smith papyrus (c 1600BC), 22 pages which deals mainly with the treatment of wounds Wikipedia Ebers papyrus (c1550BC), 110 pages which contains 700 magical formulas and remedies Ref: Wikipedia, www.nyu.edu, Crystalinks Ancient Egyptian Medicine Out of the Edwin Smith and the Ebers Papyruses, one can draw examples of SCIENCE and NONSCIENCE (of which I will list only a few) SCIENCE Use of ox liver, to treat night blindness (www.es.flinders.edu.au) Use of honey as antibiotic on open wounds (www.nature.com) NONSCIENCE Half an onion and the froth of beer as a remedy against death Use of lettuce or castor oil for alopecia Ref:Wikipedia Impression of Ancient Egyptians So, they got some right, some wrong. Pretty impressive though to have a structure (Giza pyramid) still standing after more than 4,000 years (c2500BC-2000AD) Coming back to the earlier point: There is no evidence available to say that the ancient Egyptians had a philosophy of science. So how could they establish themselves one of the great ancient civilisations? A civilisation, like the ancient Egytians, endures and maintains itself because it: (1) solves practical problems (feeding and defending its people) and (2) puts in place a form of government able to preserve it. So, science and governance, not philosophy, are needed to have a developed culture or civilisation. Ref:Robinson Impression of Ancient Egyptians A more important point relates to: “So, they got some right, some wrong.” How do we maximize right and minimize wrong? Or rather, How do we maximize SCIENCE and minimize NONSCIENCE? Ref:epnet Summary of section on ancient Egyptians The two points made in the preceding slides, effectively summarise this section I have covered the first path so far (striked out). I will combine the second and third paths, and discuss them as if they are one MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA can can SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY can SCIENCE Ref: Next Chapter 1 Review of Human Evolution Chapter 2 History and Civilization Chapter 3 Philosophy of Science Chapter 4 To be announced Chapter 5 To be announced Chapter 6 To be announced Chapter 7 To be announced Chapter 8 To be announced Chapter 9 To be announced I hope that you found chapter 2 informative, and that you enjoy chapter 3. Next Chapter 1 Review of Human Evolution Chapter 2 History and Civilization Chapter 3 Philosophy of Science Chapter 4 To be announced Chapter 5 To be announced Chapter 6 To be announced Chapter 7 To be announced Chapter 8 To be announced Chapter 9 To be announced I hope that you found chapter 1 informative, and that you enjoy chapter 2.