Wrestling with Nature
Wrestling with Nature

Author: Peter Harrison

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2011-06

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 0226317838

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When and where did science begin? Historians have offered different answers to these questions, some pointing to Babylonian observational astronomy, some to the speculations of natural philosophers of ancient Greece. Others have opted for early modern Europe, which saw the triumph of Copernicanism and the birth of experimental science, while yet another view is that the appearance of science was postponed until the nineteenth century. Rather than posit a modern definition of science and search for evidence of it in the past, the contributors to Wrestling with Nature examine how students of nature themselves, in various cultures and periods of history, have understood and represented their work. The aim of each chapter is to explain the content, goals, methods, practices, and institutions associated with the investigation of nature and to articulate the strengths, limitations, and boundaries of these efforts from the perspective of the researchers themselves. With contributions from experts representing different historical periods and different disciplinary specializations, this volume offers a fresh perspective on the history of science and on what it meant, in other times and places, to wrestle with nature.

The Territories of Science and Religion
The Territories of Science and Religion

Author: Peter Harrison

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-03-07

Total Pages: 315

ISBN-13: 022647898X

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The conflict between science and religion seems indelible, even eternal. Surely two such divergent views of the universe have always been in fierce opposition? Actually, that’s not the case, says Peter Harrison: our very concepts of science and religion are relatively recent, emerging only in the past three hundred years, and it is those very categories, rather than their underlying concepts, that constrain our understanding of how the formal study of nature relates to the religious life. In The Territories of Science and Religion, Harrison dismantles what we think we know about the two categories, then puts it all back together again in a provocative, productive new way. By tracing the history of these concepts for the first time in parallel, he illuminates alternative boundaries and little-known relations between them—thereby making it possible for us to learn from their true history, and see other possible ways that scientific study and the religious life might relate to, influence, and mutually enrich each other. A tour de force by a distinguished scholar working at the height of his powers, The Territories of Science and Religion promises to forever alter the way we think about these fundamental pillars of human life and experience.

The Blackwell Companion to Science and Christianity
The Blackwell Companion to Science and Christianity

Author: J. B. Stump

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-03-12

Total Pages: 667

ISBN-13: 1118256522

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A cutting-edge survey of contemporary thought at the intersection of science and Christianity. Provides a cutting-edge survey of the central ideas at play at the intersection of science and Christianity through 54 original articles by world-leading scholars and rising stars in the discipline Focuses on Christianity's interaction with Science to offer a fine-grained analysis of issues such as multiverse theories in cosmology, convergence in evolution, Intelligent Design, natural theology, human consciousness, artificial intelligence, free will, miracles, and the Trinity, amongst many others Addresses major historical developments in the relationship between science and Christianity, including Christian patristics, the scientific revolution, the reception of Darwin, and twentieth century fundamentalism Divided into 9 Parts: Historical Episodes; Methodology; Natural Theology; Cosmology & Physics; Evolution; The Human Sciences; Christian Bioethics; Metaphysical Implications; The Mind; Theology; and Significant Figures of the 20th Century Includes diverse perspectives and broadens the conversation from the Anglocentric tradition

All about Science
All about Science

Author: Maria Burguete

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 455

ISBN-13: 981447293X

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There is a lot of confusion and misconception concerning science. The nature and contents of science is an unsettled problem. For example, Thales of 2,600 years ago is recognized as the father of science but the word science was introduced only in the 14th century; the definition of science is often avoided in books about philosophy of science. This book aims to clear up all these confusions and present new developments in the philosophy, history, sociology and communication of science. It also aims to showcase the achievement of China's top scholars in these areas. The 18 chapters, divided into five parts, are written by prominent scholars including the Nobel laureate Robin Warren, sociologist Harry Collins, and physicist-turned-historian Dietrich Stauffer. Contents: Preface: About Science 1: Basics OCo Knowledge, Nature, Science and Scimat (Lui Lam); About Science 2: Philosophy, History, Sociology and Communication (Lui Lam); Philosophy of Science: Towards a Phenomenological Philosophy of Science (Guo-Sheng Wu); The Predicament of Scientific Culture in Ancient China (Hong-Sheng Wang); What Do Scientists Know! (Nigel Sanitt); How to Deal with the Whole: Two Kinds of Holism in Methodology (Jin-Yang Liu); History of Science: Helicobactor: The Ease and Difficulty of a New Discovery (Robin Warren); Science in Victorian Era: New Observations on Two Old Theses (Dun Liu); Medical Studies in Portugal Around 1911 (Maria Burguete); The Founding of the International Liquid Crystal Society (Lui Lam); Sociology of Science: Three Waves in Science Studies (Harry Collins); Solitons and Revolution in China: 1978OCo1983 (Lui Lam); Scientific Culture in Contemporary China (Bing Liu and Mei-Fang Zhang); Communication of Science: Science Communication: A History and Review (Peter Broks); Popular-Science Writings in Early Modern China (Lin Yin); Other Science Matters: Understanding Art Through Science: From Socrates to the Contextual Brain (Kajsa Berg); Spy Video Games After 9/11: Narrative and Pleasure (Ting-Ting Wang); Statistical Physics for Humanities: A Tutorial (Dietrich Stauffer). Readership: Researchers and laypeople interested in science."

Repositioning Victorian Sciences
Repositioning Victorian Sciences

Author: David Clifford

Publisher: Anthem Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 269

ISBN-13: 1843312123

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An intriguing look at the marginal sciences of the nineteenth century and their influence on the culture of the period.

Newton’s Apple and Other Myths about Science
Newton’s Apple and Other Myths about Science

Author: Ronald L. Numbers

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2015-11-04

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 067491547X

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A Guardian “Favourite Reads—as Chosen by Scientists” Selection “Tackles some of science’s most enduring misconceptions.” —Discover A falling apple inspired Isaac Newton’s insight into the law of gravity—or did it really? Among the many myths debunked in this refreshingly irreverent book are the idea that alchemy was a superstitious pursuit, that Darwin put off publishing his theory of evolution for fear of public reprisal, and that Gregor Mendel was ahead of his time as a pioneer of genetics. More recent myths about particle physics and Einstein’s theory of relativity are discredited too, and a number of dubious generalizations, like the notion that science and religion are antithetical, or that science can neatly be distinguished from pseudoscience, go under the microscope of history. Newton’s Apple and Other Myths about Science brushes away popular fictions and refutes the widespread belief that science advances when individual geniuses experience “Eureka!” moments and suddenly grasp what those around them could never imagine. “Delightful...thought-provoking...Every reader should find something to surprise them.” —Jim Endersby, Science “Better than just countering the myths, the book explains when they arose and why they stuck.” —The Guardian

Humanities, Science, Scimat: From Two Cultures To Bettering Humanity
Humanities, Science, Scimat: From Two Cultures To Bettering Humanity

Author: Lui Lam

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2024-04-22

Total Pages: 536

ISBN-13: 9811284415

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The humanities (and social science) are the disciplines that study human, which are essential in helping us to understand ourselves and others and the world around us. Since science is the study of everything in the universe and human is a material system consisting of the same atoms that make up other nonhuman systems, humanities are part of science. Thus, understanding correctly what science is about will be helpful in making progress in the humanities. To patch up the gap between the 'two cultures' derived from these two branches of knowledge, the best way is to recognize their common root in science and work through humanities-science synthesis, as advocated by Scimat, the new multidiscipline proposed by the author in 2007. Furthermore, raising the scientific level of the humanities, which include decision making, will help to make the world better.Humanities, Science, Scimat details these issues, consisting of three parts. Part I is about Scimat and the new humanities (history, philosophy, art). Part II is on the origin and nature of science, new insights on the life and works of selected scientists, some thoughts on science communication/popularization, and case examples of science innovation — all from the Scimat perspective. While Parts I and II are short essays with no references (with rare exceptions), Part III are longer articles with full references that supplement Parts I and II. Each essay/article starts with a color picture. They are all easy to read — nothing technical.In short, this book contains the basic knowledge about the humanities and science that everyone should know. The aimed readership is anyone, from high school students and laypeople to the professors, who are interested in what the humanities and science are about, and how we can work together to achieve a better humanity.

A Companion to the History of Science
A Companion to the History of Science

Author: Bernard Lightman

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2019-11-11

Total Pages: 629

ISBN-13: 1119121140

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The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the History of Science is a single volume companion that discusses the history of science as it is done today, providing a survey of the debates and issues that dominate current scholarly discussion, with contributions from leading international scholars. Provides a single-volume overview of current scholarship in the history of science edited by one of the leading figures in the field Features forty essays by leading international scholars providing an overview of the key debates and developments in the history of science Reflects the shift towards deeper historical contextualization within the field Helps communicate and integrate perspectives from the history of science with other areas of historical inquiry Includes discussion of non-Western themes which are integrated throughout the chapters Divided into four sections based on key analytic categories that reflect new approaches in the field

Science and Religion Around the World
Science and Religion Around the World

Author: John Hedley Brooke

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2011-01-11

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 0199793204

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The past quarter-century has seen an explosion of interest in the history of science and religion. But all too often the scholars writing it have focused their attention almost exclusively on the Christian experience, with only passing reference to other traditions of both science and faith. At a time when religious ignorance and misunderstanding have lethal consequences, such provincialism must be avoided and, in this pioneering effort to explore the historical relations of what we now call "science" and "religion," the authors go beyond the Abrahamic traditions to examine the way nature has been understood and manipulated in regions as diverse as ancient China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa. Science and Religion around the World also provides authoritative discussions of science in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -- as well as an exploration of the relationship between science and the loss of religious beliefs. The narratives included in this book demonstrate the value of plural perspectives and of the importance of location for the construction and perception of science-religion relations.

Science Without God?
Science Without God?

Author: Peter Harrison

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-01-03

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 0192571540

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Can scientific explanation ever make reference to God or the supernatural? The present consensus is no; indeed, a naturalistic stance is usually taken to be a distinguishing feature of modern science. Some would go further still, maintaining that the success of scientific explanation actually provides compelling evidence that there are no supernatural entities, and that true science, from the very beginning, was opposed to religious thinking. Science without God? Rethinking the History of Scientific Naturalism shows that the history of Western science presents us with a more nuanced picture. Beginning with the naturalists of ancient Greece, and proceeding through the middle ages, the scientific revolution, and into the nineteenth century, the contributors examine past ideas about 'nature' and 'the supernatural'. Ranging over different scientific disciplines and historical periods, they show how past thinkers often relied upon theological ideas and presuppositions in their systematic investigations of the world. In addition to providing material that contributes to a history of 'nature' and naturalism, this collection challenges a number of widely held misconceptions about the history of scientific naturalism.