Task 1 Flashcards

1
Q

Preliterate civilizations

A

1) knowledge is confined to know-how, without theoretical understanding of underlying principles
2) fluidity of knowledge -> knowledge is limited to two generations , oral transmission
3) collection of myths and stories about beginning of universe, life and natural phenomena , Animism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

First written language

A
  • separately in at least four cultures
  • 6000 BCE: china
  • 3200 BCE: Egypt and Sumer
  • 300 BCE: America

-> from early stage, writing systems were combination of Pictogramm and phonograms

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Pictograms

A
  • pictures that resemble persons, animals, objects they represent
  • Chinese alphabet closest to pictograms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Logographic

A
  • physical correspondence between signs and words decreased

- words are represented by written characters, that no longer resemble meaning they stand for

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Phonograms

A
  • signs to represent sounds of spoken language
  • gradually replaced by simpler signs symbolizing meaningful sounds in language or syllables
  • > led to alphabetic writing system
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Written documents form an external memory

A
  • important for science because it allows accumulation of knowledge
  • read what predecessors wrote to rediscover what has previously been found
  • before answering new questions, researchers search in literature for what is already known
  • > built on existing insights and avoid pitfalls
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Socrates (470-399 BCE) opinion on writing

A
  • philosopher in ancient Greece

- argued that writing leads to forgetfulness, laziness and discouragement (demotivieren) of proper studying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Scholastic method

A
  • study method in which students unquestioningly memorize and recite texts that are thought to coney the unchaining truths
  • it was still prevalent in universities in 16th century
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Fertile Crescent

A
  • most important civilizations for origin of western culture
  • > ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Ancient mesopotamia

A
  • More sophisticated knowledge of mathematics
  • applied in astronomy
  • > made calendar of planets, stars and satellites and determined times for planting and harvesting
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Ancient Egypt

A
  • contributed to geometrical knowledge

- made a calendar of 12 months

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Ancient Greeks

A
  • first culture to question nature of wold
  • philosophy started here around 600 BCE
  • Hippocrates
  • Ptolemy
  • Euclid
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Ancient Greeks - foundation of schools

A
  • 4 schools were established in Anthem
  • academy -> Plato
  • Lyceum -> Aristotle
  • Stoa
  • Garden of Epicurus
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Plato (427-348 BCE)

A
  • pupil of Socrates
  • rationalism -> truth is based on thinking not information of senses
  • views appreciated by church
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

A

-contributed to biology, logic, metaphysics, psychology
-student of Plato
-knowledge is less based on reason, he left room for observation
-most popular in Renaissance, initially led to tensions with church
The world is as we perceive it -> no gap between appearance and reality -> what you observe is what there is

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Ancient romans

A
  • admired Greek culture
  • transferred their methods and learning
  • romans -> more interested in practical questions
  • > dominated by technological inventions and improvements
  • Greeks -> philosophical debates
  • > dominated by philosophical writings
17
Q

Late Roman and arab empire

A
  • end of second century CE
  • > political stability in Roman Empire begann to fade away and civil wars gave rise to division in east and west empires around 300
18
Q

Renaissance

A

-14th-17th century
-rediscovery and imitation of Classical Greek and Roman civilization
-

19
Q

Protestant reformation

A
  • starting 1516
  • movement against Roman Catholic Church
  • > important for development of science
  • emphasized need for education, critical thinking, hard work and worldly success
  • > invention of book printing
  • colonization of the world
20
Q

Biases of historical writings (5)

A

1) too much centered on persons
2) Matthew effect
3) hindsight bias
4) ethnocentrism
5) History reviews are summaries of summaries

21
Q

1) too much centered on persons

A

-zeitgeist -> indicating that time was right for certain discovery, which did not originate form a single genius, but from much wider development leading to discovery

22
Q

2) Matthew effect

A
  • tendency to give more credit to well-known scientists than they deserve
  • increases perceived impact of these scientists
23
Q

3) hindsight bias

A

-facts are interpreted on basis of what happened afterwards, individual scholars get more prominence than they deserve because we tend to assume they knew more than they actually did

24
Q

4) Ethnocentrism

A
  • too much attention is given to contributions to authors’ own group
  • > tendency to give too much credit to input of economically dominant groups
25
Q

Discovery of pottery

A

-

26
Q

Discovery of metal

A

-

27
Q

Discovery of glass

A

-

28
Q

Discovery of fire

A
  • possibly the greatest discovery of man
  • once humans understood that even if initially destroys vegetation , life can grow again and fire could be kept and preserved, it became an essential characteristic of humans