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What were the pre-modern philosophical attitudes towards science and how did they shape the way science was pursued in later centuries?

Adaline Lydford

Well, from my understanding, pre-modern philosophical attitudes towards science varied a lot depending on the culture and time period. In general, though, there seemed to be a lot of skepticism and suspicion towards empirical observations and experimentation. Many people believed that reason and logic should be the main tools for understanding the natural world, rather than relying on sensory experiences.

One example of this is Aristotle, who believed that all knowledge comes from first principles and deductions, rather than from experiments. He also thought that the natural world was inherently ordered and defined by fixed categories, which limited his ability to observe and understand change. Similarly, in medieval Europe, many philosophers were influenced by the ideas of Plato and Aristotle and believed that the world was made up of fixed, immutable forms that could be discovered through reasoning and contemplation.

Of course, there were also many pre-modern thinkers who were much more open to scientific experimentation and observation. For instance, the Islamic Golden Age saw a flourishing of scientific research and discovery, with scholars like Ibn al-Haytham making important contributions in optics and vision science. The Chinese also had a long history of scientific inquiry and observation, with figures like Zhang Heng and Shen Kuo making important discoveries in astronomy and geology.

Overall, I think these pre-modern attitudes towards science set the stage for the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. Skepticism towards received knowledge and a willingness to experiment and observe were essential components of this revolution, as were the development of new tools like the printing press and the microscope. However, I also think it's important to recognize the valuable contributions of pre-modern thinkers to science and philosophy, even if they didn't always share our modern views on empirical observation and experimentation.