The Development of The Development of ScienceScience

Science is only about 400 years Science is only about 400 years old and itold and it’’s application to human s application to human thought is about 150 years oldthought is about 150 years old

James MulloolyJames Mullooly

Empiricist Foundations Empiricist Foundations in 4in 4thth cen. BC cen. BC

Aristotle (b. 384 BC) started the Aristotle (b. 384 BC) started the empirical traditionempirical tradition

Titus Lucretius Carus (94 BC) Titus Lucretius Carus (94 BC) wrote, wrote, The Nature of ThingsThe Nature of Things where he made a clear where he made a clear argument for empiricism. argument for empiricism.

Needs for Science in Needs for Science in the 15th cen.the 15th cen.

1400s – European 1400s – European Adventurers on the high Adventurers on the high seas motivated a need for seas motivated a need for

tools (compass and sextant) tools (compass and sextant) and and

technologies (technologies (systematic systematic observations)observations)

to make money and travel.to make money and travel.

Motivates increased literacy and scientific thinking

““PressingPressing”” Needs in the 15th cen. Needs in the 15th cen.

By the end of the By the end of the 1400s, all cities 1400s, all cities had a press had a press – 1517 Protestant 1517 Protestant

ReformationReformation

Motivates increased literacy and scientific thinking

1455 1455 Gutenberg's PressGutenberg's Press

Systematic Empiricism Systematic Empiricism in the 16in the 16thth cen. cen.

Galileo GalileiGalileo Galilei (b. 1564) refuted (b. 1564) refuted the Ptolemaic geocentric (earth the Ptolemaic geocentric (earth centered) theory of the heavens.centered) theory of the heavens.

Galileo developed the practice of Galileo developed the practice of the experimentthe experiment and empirical and empirical procedures. procedures.

Systematic Rationalism Systematic Rationalism in the 16in the 16thth cen. cen.

René DescartesRené Descartes (b. 1596) (b. 1596) wrote of this in wrote of this in Discourse on Discourse on MethodMethod

Francis BaconFrancis Bacon (b. 1561) (b. 1561) practiced induction and direct practiced induction and direct observation. observation.

““Rational EmpiricismRational Empiricism”” in the 17in the 17thth cen. cen.

Isaac Newton (b. 1643)– Isaac Newton (b. 1643)– start of the scientific start of the scientific revolution at Cambridge, revolution at Cambridge, via the invention of via the invention of ““the Calculusthe Calculus””..

Developed the Developed the Hypothetico-Deductive Hypothetico-Deductive model.model.

Hypothetico-Deductive modelHypothetico-Deductive model

Combined Combined Empirical observation (GalileoEmpirical observation (Galileo’’s Experiment)s Experiment)

withwithDeduction (Cartesian Reason)Deduction (Cartesian Reason)

to maketo makeScience as we know it today.Science as we know it today.

Now: It does not matter where you get your ideas fromNow: It does not matter where you get your ideas from– DescartesDescartes’’ ideas or Galileo ideas or Galileo’’s observationss observations

Just that you have an idea and that you test it rigorously.Just that you have an idea and that you test it rigorously.

Science of Human Behavior?Science of Human Behavior?

John Locke (1632) Friend of John Locke (1632) Friend of NewtonNewton– He said that NewtonHe said that Newton’’s s

observations of the stars could be observations of the stars could be applied to humans.applied to humans.

– But this was not done until over But this was not done until over 100 years later.100 years later.

Science of the Social

August Comte (b. 1798) invented the word sociology