Westfall Chap' 28

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Westfall Chap. 2-8
History Philosophy of Science, Sci101, UC Fall
2002

• Jessica, Thomas, Koen, Floris, BJ

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Presentation Outline

• Jessica (Circulation and Ovism)
• Discussion
• Floris (The 17th Century Scientific Attitude)
• Discussion
• Coffee Tea

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Circulation and Ovism
Jessica
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William Harvey
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• The heart is the household divinity which,
  discharging its function, nourishes, cherishes,
  quickens the whole body, and is indeed the
  foundation of life, the source of all action

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Descartes vs. Harvey
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Ex Ovo Omnia
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Homunculus
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Discussion

• Remember participation is likely to positively
  influence your grade.

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Proposition

• The human being is mainly an organic body as
  opposed to a spiritual mind.

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Proposition

• Was Francis Bacon correct in his opinion about
  science and the idea that science subjects nature
  to its authority?

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Proposition

• Is Descartes still a true mechanist when you
  consider his expression cogito ergo sum which
  was according to him the most fundamental truth?

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On the 17th Century Scientific Attitude
Floris
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What is Revolution?

• A brainstorm.

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Was the 17th Century a Scientific Revolution?

• The reformulation of conceptions was radical
  enough to warrant the name revolution that was
  frequently applied to it.
• - Westfall (1971, page 105)

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Questions

• What is revolution?
• Why was the 17th century a scientific revolution?

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Dictionary

• Revolution
• (1) In social sciences ()
• (2) A dramatic and wide-reaching change in the
  way something works or is organized or in
  peoples ideas about it, e.g. marketing underwent
  a revolution.

- The New Oxford Dictionary of English ,
Pearsall, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998
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Philosopher on Revolution

• Kuhn
• Scientific development only within a certain
  paradigm
• Revolution Paradigm Change

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Distinction

• Ordinary Scientific Development
• Neatly categorising all animals and describing
  what they look like.
• Revolution (part of)
• Copernicus theory that the sun was the centre of
  the universe (? paradigm change)

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Was the 17th Century a Scientific Revolution?

• William of Ockhams Razor
• If all things are equal, the most simple
  explanation is the right one.
• By the way, he was a Medieval Philosopher.

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Difference between books

• What is the difference between Westfalls and
  Lindbergs book?
• Westfall 17th Century / Lindberg Before
• What occurs to you at first glance?
• Look at Westfall chapter III, VII or VIII.

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Westfall (the 17th Century)

• Much more formulas and complex figures.
• (Content) research is more specific
• scientists endeavour to specifically and
  critically test hypotheses
• experiments to verify theories
• a different scientific attitude

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Karl Popper

• A scientist should try do everything in his power
  to prove his theory to be incorrect
  (falsification)
• If he cannot prove his theory to be incorrect,
  but tried, then the theory is nice. If he proves
  it to be incorrect, he can adjust it.

• Therefore, this attitude leads to development.

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Example of Scientific Attitude

• Pascal suspected that atmospheric pressure
  influenced the barometer.
• He figured that if this was so, then the
  barometers value would differ on different
  heights.
• He performed the mountain experiment.

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Conclusions

• The 17th Century differed essentially from
  previous era
• Refusal of authority (remember v. Helden)
• Critical Hypothesis Testing
• Different Scientific Attitude
• Code Word Criticism

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A Closing Remark

• Science is an honour of the human race.
  Therefore, it is justified to say that it must be
  available for everyone.
• Anna Maria van Schuurman (Utrecht), 1624
  (unofficial transl. by F.)

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Discussion

• Remember participation is likely to positively
  influence your grade.

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Discussion Design

• Remember participation is likely to positively
  influence your grade.
• One proposition
• Group A In favour
• Group B Against
• 1 minute preparation

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Proposition

• Descartes erased his harddrive and constructed a
  philosophy from scratch.

• Did he succeed?

• Is this possible in principle?

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Proposition

• Was Newton a philosopher just like Descartes?

• Is it so that every scientific breakthrough
  brings a new perspective and is therefore
  automatically interwoven with philosophy?

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Proposition

• Alchemy in the 17th century accomplished more
  than general chemistry.

• Did the mechanical philosophy cause any
  advancements within chemistry?

• What about alchemy?

• Is a scientific theory inferior because it
  accepts the occult?

- The purpose of science is the relief of mans
estate, the comfort and convenience of human
life. (Westfall, paraphrasing F. Bacon)
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Proposition

• Better instrumentation contributed the most to
  all the new discoveries in the 17th century.

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Proposition

• Was Newton the end of Mechanical Philosophy?

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The end

• Enjoy your coffee tea