Phlogiston Theory

1. Phlogiston Theory Chris Griffin Chris Boukaseff Guy Harrison-Murray

2. What is Phlogiston Theory? • A 17th century scientific theory to explain the process of combustion and oxidation. Developed by J. J Becher.

3. Knowledge Statement • How is knowledge in natural sciences, to some extent, reliant on faith that previous knowledge is true?

4. WoK • The two ways of knowing that are relevant to this are language and emotion. • Language used in the theory, and the emotion of the theory’s audience made it much more widely accepted.

5. Language • Latin was used to make it seem more believable. • Terra lapidea, terra fluida, terra pinguis. • This use of “scientific” language made the theory more believable. • The word “Phlogiston” is rooted in Greek, another academic language.

6. Emotion • The fear of the unknown caused people to much more readily accept phlogiston theory. • The innate trust that we have for authority figures (like J.J Becher at the time) can make us much less skeptical of new ideas.

7. WoK Summary • Both of these Ways of Knowing were highly influential in the spread of Phlogiston. • The theory endured for almost 80 years, and several theories were based upon it, without it being challenged. • This demonstrates how much knowledge in science is taken on faith.

8. Thinkers • The phlogiston theory demonstrates how, as thinkers we tend to believe things that come from an authority. • J.J Becher made phlogiston seem scientific, even though he had no empirical evidence

9. Example • People believed George W. Bush about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq even though he had no evidence of there being these weapons yet as he was an authoritative figure people were inclined to believe him.

10. More… • As thinkers, we tend to more readily accept explanations for previously unexplained ideas. • Natural science builds upon previous knowledge and theories, which is both a flaw and an advantage. • Previous knowledge provides scientists with a foundation, and a means of testing their ideas • If successive ideas are built on that previous knowledge, all succesive information will be flawed.

11. The un-known… • JJ Becher created phlogiston theory to explain something unknown because of existing mental blocks and insufficient technology. • He didn’t fully understand the science behind the theory, but many still believed him.

12. What does it mean? • This shows that as thinkers we prefer to not having an indefinite opinion on something and we must either have a definite yes or no to the answer rather than a “I Don’t Know”.

13. Miasma Theory of Disease The miasma theory (also called the miasmatic theory) held that diseases such as cholera, chlamydia or the Black Death were caused by a miasma, a noxious form of "bad air". The theory explained the origin of these epidemic diseases was miasma, an emanation from rotting organic matter.

14. The Miasmatic Theory of Disease (cont.) • Because of the acceptance of this theory, the governments started issuing public health bills to combat this noxious gas. • This led to a decrease in the disease cholera

15. The increase in health safety in England helped save lives • Although through the belief of the false theory lives were saved, it was not how it was thought. • Measures put into place on assumptions • 1880 disproved.

16. Old Maritime Maps

17. In the late fifteenth century, the most influential map makers were half artists and half scientists. • This created a bias, as they tended to be very imaginative with these sketches. • No sea farer questioned these maps

18. Since the scientists/artists would find weird skeletons they did not recognise, they tended to name them and give them qualities based on their bone structure. • It was not until the late 1880s that maps started becoming accurate, with true sea creatures being drawn on them, and the ‘dangerous seas’ being journeyed upon.

19. Summary • Belief in these examples – older disease theory and cartography – are similar to natural sciences. • Successive beliefs and behaviors, such as avoiding the “monster” areas on the maps, were dictated by people’s faith in the mapmakers and the maps. • Health standards were changed based on false beliefs.

20. Thank You!