The Old Humanities and the New ScienceOsler, William, Sir
Philosophy
The Old Humanities and the New Science
Osler, William, Sir
Classical education; Science
In the proposed Honour School the principles of philosophy are to be
dealt with in relation to the sciences, and by the introduction of
literary and historical studies, which George Sarton advocates so warmly
as the new Humanism,[16] the student will gain a knowledge of the
evolution of modern scientific thought. But to limit the history to the
modern period--Kepler to the present time is suggested--would be a grave
error. The scientific student should go to the sources and in some way
be taught the connection of Democritus with Dalton, of Archimedes with
Kelvin, of Aristarchus with Newton, of Galen with John Hunter, and of
Plato and Aristotle with them all. And the glories of Greek science
should be opened in a sympathetic way to "Greats" men. Under new
regulations at the public schools, a boy of sixteen or seventeen should
have enough science to appreciate the position of Theophrastus in
botany, and perhaps himself construct Hero's fountain. Science will take
a totally different position in this country when the knowledge of its
advances is the possession of all educated men. The time, too, is ripe
for the Bodleian to become a _studium generale_, with ten or more
departments, each in charge of a special sub-librarian. When the
beautiful rooms, over the portals of which are the mocking blue and gold
inscriptions, are once more alive with students, the task of teaching
subjects on historical lines will be greatly lightened. What has been
done with the Music-Room, and with the Science-Room through the
liberality of Dr. and Mrs. Singer, should be done for classics, history,
literature, theology, etc., each section in charge of a sub-librarian
who will be _Doctor perplexorum_ alike to professor, don, and
undergraduate.
[16] _Popular Science Monthly_, September, 1918, and _Scientia_,
XXIII, 3.
I wish time had permitted me to sketch even briefly the story of the
evolution of science in this old seat of learning. A fortunate
opportunity enables you to see two phases in its evolution. Through the
kind permission of several of the colleges, particularly Christ Church,
Merton, St. John's, and Oriel, and with the coöperation of the Curators
of the Bodleian and Dr. Cowley, Mr. R. T. Gunther, of Magdalen College,
has arranged a loan exhibition of the early scientific instruments and
manuscripts. A series of quadrants and astrolabes show how Arabian
instruments, themselves retaining much of the older Greek models, have
translated Alexandrian science into the Western world. Some were
constructed for the latitude of Oxford, and one was associated with our
astronomer-poet Chaucer.
For the first time the instruments and works of the early members of the
Merton School of astronomer-physicians have been brought together. They
belong to a group of men of the fourteenth century--Reed, Aschenden,
Simon Bredon, Merle, Richard of Wallingford, and others--whose labours
made Oxford the leading scientific university of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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