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History and Civilization

History and Civilization. Faghrie Mitchell. BCB 703: Scientific Methodology. What is History? What is Science? What is Philosophy?. What is History? What is Science? What is Philosophy?. What is History?. What is History?. What is Science?. What is Science?. What is Philosophy?.

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History and Civilization

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  1. History and Civilization Faghrie Mitchell BCB 703: Scientific Methodology

  2. What is History?What is Science?What is Philosophy? What is History?What is Science?What is Philosophy?

  3. What is History? What is History?

  4. What is Science? What is Science?

  5. What is Philosophy? What is Philosophy?

  6. What is Curiosity? What is Curiosity? • Almost in the beginning was curiosity.Asimov’s New Guide to Science (Asimov 1987)

  7. Early Man: Curiosity to Science Early Man: Curiosity  Science H I S T O R Y CURIOSITY www.fi.edu EXPLORATION DISCOVERY SCIENCE

  8. Ancient Egypt: Curiosity to Science Ancient Egypt: Curiosity  Science Osprey

  9. Djoser 2630-2611 BC Step Pyramid Saqqara, Egypt Djoser 2630-2611 BC Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids www.touregypt.net www.touregypt.net

  10. Snefru 2575-2551 BC Intermediate Pyramid Maidum, Egypt Djoser 2630-2611 BC Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids www.touregypt.net www.touregypt.net

  11. Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Smooth Pyramids Giza, Egypt Djoser 2630-2611 BC Snefru 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu 2551-2528 BC Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids Ancient Egypt: Evolution of the Pyramids www.touregypt.net

  12. Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Djoser Step 2630-2611 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? • Did the ancient Egyptians have science  • To build a pyramid you need to have knowledge and skills about stone and rock • E.g. how much stone, how many men to cut and move the stone, etc (quantity surveying) • E.g. how do I find good quality stone, how do I move the stone (geology and engineering (mathematics)) • Evolution of pyramids is an example of the evolution of ancient Egyptian science Ref: Shaw (2003)

  13. Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Djoser Step 2630-2611 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? • Did the ancient Egyptians have evolving science  • Ancient Egyptians had to improve their building techniques going from Step to Intermediate to Smooth pyramid (increasing difficulty and challenge of building a smooth pyramid) • The Intermediate pyramid at Maidum could be seen as a prototype pyramid • The Maidum pyramid is speculated to have been either abandoned, or to have collapsed because of the slope of the pyramid • The lessons learnt from this pyramid and previous pyramids were: (1) to build on rock instead of sand and (2) to tilt the stone blocks inward to stabilise the pyramid (see next slide) Images: www.touregypt.net

  14. Snefru Intermediate 2575-2551 BC Cheops/Khufu Smooth 2551-2528 BC Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? www.unmuseum.org

  15. Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? • Did the ancient Egyptians have science  • Did the ancient Egyptians have evolving science • Did the ancient Egyptians have philosophy of science ??? • So you do not need to have PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE to have SCIENCE? YES and NO Ref:

  16. can can can MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY SCIENCE can Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? • So you do not need to have PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE to have SCIENCE? YES and NO Ref:

  17. can can can MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA NONSCIENCE PHILOSOPHY NONSCIENCE PHILOSOPHY NONSCIENCE can Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? Why show the Evolution of the Pyramids? • Conversely, you also have three similar paths, leading to NONSCIENCE, instead of SCIENCE Ref:

  18. MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA SCIENCE NONSCIENCE Ancient Egyptian Medicine Ancient Egyptian Medicine • The Evolution of pyramids serve to show that the ancient Egyptians had SCIENCE. I will now show a clearer example, to show ancient Egyptian SCIENCE and NONSCIENCE can can Example: Ancient Egyptian Medicine Ref:

  19. Ancient Egyptian Medicine Ancient Egyptian Medicine • Example: Ancient Egyptian Medicine • Some of the oldest scientific artifacts • Edwin Smith papyrus (c 1600BC), 22 pages which deals mainly with the treatment of wounds • Ebers papyrus (c1550BC), 110 pages which contains 700 magical formulas and remedies www.nyu.edu Wikipedia Ref: Wikipedia, www.nyu.edu, Crystalinks

  20. SCIENCE NONSCIENCE Ancient Egyptian Medicine Ancient Egyptian Medicine • Out of the Edwin Smith and the Ebers Papyruses, one can draw examples of SCIENCE and NONSCIENCE (of which I will list only a few) • Use of ox liver, to treat night blindness(www.es.flinders.edu.au) • Use of honey as antibiotic on open wounds(www.nature.com) • Half an onion and the froth of beer as a remedy against death • Use of lettuce or castor oil for alopecia Ref:Wikipedia

  21. Impression of Ancient Egyptians Impression of Ancient Egyptians • So, they got some right, some wrong. Pretty impressive though to have a structure (Giza pyramid) still standing after more than 4,000 years (c2500BC-2000AD) • Coming back to the earlier point:There is no evidence available to say that the ancient Egyptians had a philosophy of science. • So how could they establish themselves one of the great ancient civilisations? • A civilisation, like the ancient Egytians, endures and maintains itself because it:(1) solves practical problems (feeding and defending its people) and (2) puts in place a form of government able to preserve it. • So, science and governance, not philosophy, are needed to have a developed culture or civilisation. Ref:Robinson

  22. Impression of Ancient Egyptians Impression of Ancient Egyptians • A more important point relates to:“So, they got some right, some wrong.” • How do we maximize right and minimize wrong? • Or rather, How do we maximize SCIENCE and minimize NONSCIENCE? Ref:epnet

  23. can can can MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA MYTHOLOGY RELIGION DOGMA SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY SCIENCE PHILOSOPHY SCIENCE can Summary: Ancient Egyptians Summary of section on ancient Egyptians • The two points made in the preceding slides, effectively summarise this section • I have covered the first path so far (striked out). I will combine the second and third paths, and discuss them as if they are one Ref:

  24. Next Chapter Conclusion Chapter 1 Review of Human Evolution Chapter 2History and Civilization Chapter 3 Philosophy of Science Chapter 4 To be announced Chapter 5 To be announced Chapter 6 To be announced Chapter 7 To be announced Chapter 8 To be announced Chapter 9 To be announced I hope that you found chapter 2 informative, and that you enjoy chapter 3.

  25. Next Chapter 1 Review of Human Evolution Chapter 2History and Civilization Chapter 3 Philosophy of Science Chapter 4 To be announced Chapter 5 To be announced Chapter 6 To be announced Chapter 7 To be announced Chapter 8 To be announced Chapter 9 To be announced I hope that you found chapter 1 informative, and that you enjoy chapter 2.

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