An Introduction to the History of Science — John Shaqi
An Introduction to the History of ScienceLibby, Walter
History
An Introduction to the History of Science
Libby, Walter
Science -- History
On the other hand, he looked to the arts, crafts, and occupations as a
source of scientific principles. In his survey of learning he found some
records of agriculture and likewise of many mechanical arts. Some think
them a kind of dishonor. "But if my judgment be of any weight, the use
of History Mechanical is, of all others, the most radical and
fundamental towards natural philosophy." When the different arts are
known, the senses will furnish sufficient concrete material for the
information of the understanding. The record of the arts is of most use
because it exhibits things in motion, and leads more directly to
practice. "Upon this history, therefore, mechanical and illiberal as it
may seem (all fineness and daintiness set aside), the greatest diligence
must be bestowed." "Again, among the particular arts those are to be
preferred which exhibit, alter, and prepare natural bodies and
materials of things as agriculture, cooking, chemistry, dyeing; the
manufacture of glass, enamel, sugar, gunpowder, artificial fires, paper
and the like." Weaving, carpentry, architecture, manufacture of mills,
clocks, etc. follow. The purpose is not solely to bring the arts to
perfection, but all mechanical experiments should be as streams flowing
from all sides into the sea of philosophy.
Shortly after James I came to the throne in 1603, Bacon published his
_Advancement of Learning_. He continued in other writings, however, to
develop the organization of knowledge, and in 1623 summed up his plan in
the _De Augmentis Scientiarum_.
A recent writer (Pearson, 1900) has attempted to summarize Bacon's
classification of the different branches of learning. When one compares
this summary with an outline of the classification of knowledge made by
the French monk, Hugo of St. Victor, who stands midway between Isidore
of Seville (570-636) and Bacon, some points of resemblance are of course
obvious. Moreover, Hugo, like Bacon, insisted on the importance of not
being narrowly utilitarian. Men, he says, are often accustomed to value
knowledge not on its own account but for what it yields. Thus it is with
the arts of husbandry, weaving, painting, and the like, where skill is
considered absolutely vain, unless it results in some useful product.
If, however, we judged after this fashion of God's wisdom, then, no
doubt, the creation would be preferred to the Creator. But wisdom is
life, and the love of wisdom is the joy of life (_felicitas vitæ_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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