The Problem of Tradition: Teaching Research in the Shadow of the History of Science

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Budd
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Master's Programs ◽  
Research Tradition ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Preliminary Examination ◽  
Teaching Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
Constructivist Approaches ◽  
Analyse De Contenu

There is a research tradition that builds heavily upon traditions that began in the early days of the Enlightenment. One manifestation of the tradition is in the search for, and treatment of, evidence. The paper will present a content analysis of the syllabi of research-related courses in ALA-accredited master’s programs, which demonstrates the reliance on the Enlightenment materialist tradition. Preliminary examination suggests reliance on, among other things, behavioristic observations of information seekers and users, cognitive investigation that is limited to eliminativist or reductionist methods, or constructivist approaches that likewise reduce analytical possibilities.Il existe une tradition de recherche dont les fondements remontent au début du siècle des Lumières. Une manifestation de cette tradition se retrouve dans la recherche et dans le traitement de la preuve. Cet article présente une analyse de contenu des plans de cours des cours de recherche enseignés dans le cadre des programmes de maîtrise agréés par l'ALA, démontrant le recours à la tradition matérialiste des Lumières. Un examen préliminaire laisse entendre l'usage notamment d'observations béhavioristes des chercheurs et des utilisateurs d'information, d'investigations cognitives limitées aux méthodes éliminativistes ou réductionnistes ou d'approches constructivistes qui réduisent d'autant les possibilités d'analyse. 

The History of Science as European Self-Portraiture

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
LORRAINE DASTON
Keyword(s):  
History Of Science ◽  
Scientific Revolution ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
World History ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Image ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
History Of

Since the Enlightenment, the history of science has been enlisted to show the unity and distinctiveness of Europe. This paper, written on the occasion of the award of the 2005 Erasmus Prize to historians of science Simon Schaffer and Steven Shapin, traces the intertwined narratives of the history of science and European modernity from the 18th century to the present. Whether understood as triumph or tragedy (and there have been eloquent proponents of both views), the Scientific Revolution has been portrayed as Europe's decisive break with tradition – the first such break in world history and the model for all subsequent epics of modernization in other cultures. The paper concludes with reflections on how a new history of science, exemplified in the work of Shapin and Schaffer, may transform the self-image of Europe and conceptions of truth itself.

scholarly journals Integrar a história da ciência na sala de aula através de um caso: o papel de Lyell no desenvolvimento dos trabalhos de Darwin

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 52-62
Author(s):  
Tiago Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
History Of Science ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Educational Resource ◽  
Holistic Thinking ◽  
Human Scale ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Long Time ◽  
History Of ◽  
Principles Of Geology

Resumo No século XIX, o desenvolvimento científico ficou marcado por uma grande restruturação concetual: a perceção da existência de um longo período de tempo, anterior e independente à presença do Homem na Terra. Os trabalhos de Lyell foram particularmente responsáveis pela evolução desta corrente ideológica. Este uniformitarista, através da observação de pequenas mudanças terrestres subtis à escala humana (mas expressivas quando analisadas à luz de milhões de anos), contribuiu para compreensão dos fenómenos geológicos. Contudo, esta ideologia não se refletiu apenas na geologia. Quando Darwin, em 1831, partiu no Beagle, tinha consigo o livro “Principles of Geology” de Lyell. Sensibilizado pelas suas ideias, e consciente das transformações graduais do planeta, Darwin desenvolveu várias noções que viriam a ser incluídas no evolucionismo. As ideias de Lyell, articuladas com uma escala geológica ao invés de histórica, foram preponderantes para a existência de um “outro” tempo coerente com a transmutação das espécies. O uniformitarismo foi, então, basilar para a criação de um contexto favorável à recetividade da teoria de Darwin, evidenciando a importância de um pensamento interdisciplinar e holístico na ciência. Pretende-se, neste trabalho, reforçar a relevância deste tipo de pensamento no ensino das ciências naturais. Para tal, elaborou-se um recurso educativo, segundo a metodologia de ensino baseado em casos, com a finalidade de facilitar a inclusão da história da ciência no ensino. Palavras-chave: Uniformitarismo, Evolucionismo, História da Ciência. Abstract In the nineteenth century, scientific development was marked by a great conceptual restructuring: the perception of the existence of a long time, prior and independent to the presence of Man on Earth. Lyell's works were particularly responsible for the evolution of this ideological current. Lyell, through the observation of subtle Earth changes on the human scale (but expressive when analysed in the enlightenment of millions of years), contributed to understanding geological phenomena. However, this ideology was not only reflected in geology. When Darwin, in 1831, embarked on the Beagle, he had the Lyell's book "Principles of Geology". Induced by his ideas, and conscious of the gradual transformations of the planet, Darwin developed several notions that were included in the evolutionism. Lyell's ideas, articulated with a geological rather than a historical scale, were preeminent for the existence of an "other" time consistent with the transmutation of species. The uniformitarianism was, then, essential for the creation of a context favourable to the receptivity of Darwin’s theory, evidencing the importance of an interdisciplinary and holistic thinking in the science. In this work, it is intent to reinforce the relevance of this type of thinking in the natural sciences’ teaching. Thus, an educational resource was elaborated, according to the case-based teaching methodology, with the purpose of facilitating the inclusion of the history of science in teaching process. Keywords: Uniformitarianism, Evolutionism, History of Science.

scholarly journals Os saberes úteis de José Pinto de Azerero na rede de informações do Império Ultramarino português * Useful knowledge from José Pinto de Azeredo in the information network inside portuguese's oversea empire

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Fernanda Ribeiro Rocha Fagundes
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
History Of Science ◽  
Knowledge Network ◽  
Information Network ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Science Theory ◽  
History Of

Neste artigo pretende-se evidenciar a produção de saberes em língua portuguesa, elaborados pelo físico-mor José Pinto de Azeredo, ao final do século XVIII e princípios do XIX, sob a ótica da História das Ciências Global e Transcontinental. Destaca-se na análise as ideias reelaboradas e circulantes desse ator histórico em regiões como a América portuguesa, Europa e África. Tal circulação se dava em uma conjuntura ilustrada, em que se admitia uma espécie de ciência pragmática. Nesse contexto, o Império Ultramarino mantinha uma rede de conhecimentos úteis, que era constantemente alimentada por várias instituições portuguesas e diversos personagens históricos a ela conectados, que agiam nas mais variadas possessões do além-mar português. As informações circulantes envolviam diversos setores, incluindo os saberes médicos.*In this essay, we want to show the Portuguese knowledge made by the physician José Pinto de Azeredo in the end of eighteenth century and first part of nineteenth century. We are using the New Global and Transcontinental History of science theory. This paper has underlined José Pinto de Azeredo’s ideas, which had been recreated and traveled around Portuguese America, Europe and Africa. This process of ideas circulation happened in a historic moment of the Enlightenment, when a pragmatic science was possible. In that moment, the Portuguese overseas empire kept a useful knowledge network, which was fed by several Portuguese institutions and a lot of history characters who belong to Portugal. These characters could be overseas employees, travelers, physicians, traders who sent a lot of information about several subject including cure’s knowledge to Portugal’s network.

scholarly journals History of Science in a National Context

1977 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurice Crosland
Keyword(s):  
History Of Science ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
National Context ◽  
The Enlightenment ◽  
Scientific Institutions ◽  
History Of ◽  
University College London ◽  
Single Discipline ◽  
Do So

The history of science can be approached in several different ways. It may be studied, as in the classification once favoured in the long-established Department of History and Philosophy of Science at University College London, by considering separately the history of individual sciences: physics, chemistry, biology, etc.—Partington's monumental History of chemistry is a good example of the cross-section of history of science obtained by considering a single discipline. This approach is understandable when history of science is the work of retired specialists in a particular science. On the other hand, many of those who have approached the history of science from a training in general history have tended to favour a study of a particular period as an alternative to an orientation by subject. This is particularly valuable before the nineteenth century, when subject boundaries were not so tightly drawn as some of the old science historians tended to assume. A third possibility is area studies, usually the history of science within a particular country. Sometimes this is done unconsciously, as when historians claim that they are dealing with a general theme, such as science and religion or scientific institutions, but do so with special reference to their own country. French historians of ‘the Enlightenment’ often study French authors exclusively. Language as much as country is a limiting factor here.

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