Why should we study the history of science?
Welcome to my Substack! This will be a place where I share my observations about different topics in the history of science.
This is a good time to ask: What is the point of studying the history of science? Why should we care about it?
Why study the History of Science?
I see two overlapping motivations for studying the history of science: (1) understanding and (2) inspiration.
Understanding
We live in a world deeply shaped by science and science-based technology. We depend on antibiotics, computers, cell phones, CT scanners, nuclear power plants, and countless other technologies. The media constantly bombard us with statements which claim to be scientific: Pesticides cause cancer; vaccines cause autism; red wine prevents heart disease; carbon dioxide increases lead to global warming — and global greening.
In order to live effectively in such a world, some basic knowledge of science is indispensable, and studying the history of science can be a fascinating way to increase our knowledge of science itself.
According to some educators, the best way to teach science is in chronological order, with early scientific discoveries taught first, and the following discoveries taught later. Most of us did not learn science this way in school (I know I didn't), but perhaps it's not too late for us to go back as adults and reground our knowledge of science by studying its past.
The history of science seems to present many lessons for us about science in general — lessons such as the following:
Science is based ultimately on careful observations of the world.
Science is cumulative, with later discoveries usually depending on earlier ones.
Science can take mis-steps, but well-grounded reasoning can justify our confidence in its conclusions.
Numerous historical factors can influence the development of science in a culture; these include the culture’s dominant philosophy, its level of material prosperity, its political conditions, and the existence of certain unique individuals.
Inspiration
In today’s world of depressing news headlines, it is important to actively seek out the positive in life. This involves finding and consuming stories of achievement, both in fiction and in real life. One great source of these is the history of science.
The stories of the struggles of famous scientists can be very dramatic and inspiring. When we learn about Andreas Vesalius enduring the stench of decaying corpses in order to study the most minuscule details of human anatomy — when we learn about Galileo Galilei courageously standing up to the Church to defend his view of the universe — when we learn about the temperamentally timid Charles Darwin coming to reevaluate the whole issue of man's origins — then we are inspired by human greatness.
The biographies of countless scientists show us people who were driven by an intense curiosity about the world around them — a curiosity about reality — and who took action to satisfy their curiosity. Of course, not all scientists led equally heroic lives. But they did contribute (to a greater or lesser extent) to what is arguably the greatest achievement of the human race: the modern scientific understanding of the universe and our place in it.
The progress of science through history has been largely cumulative. Yesterday's discoveries were the foundation for today's discoveries, which in turn will be the foundation for those of tomorrow. To be sure, the progression hasn't always been continuously upwards; there have been wrong turns and dead ends, but these have been footnotes to the main story. The history of science is, in essence, the story of a dramatic upwards progression, leading to our current scientific understanding of the universe and all the wonders of modern technology. Moreover, these achievements will undoubtably be far surpassed in the future, as science continues its amazing story.