20190814讀書筆記Science in Ancient Civilizations?

Lloyd, Geoffrey Ernest Richard. Ancient Worlds, Modern Reflections: Philosophical Perspectives on Greek and Chinese Science and Culture. Oxford: Clarendon P, 2007.

讀第二章 “Science in Ancient Civilizations?”

Lloyd反覆思考一個問題，古代有科學嗎? 思考此問題可以從science一字的模糊定義反省，不過一個字詞的定義往往牽涉文化、社會與歷史脈絡等價值觀：

All descriptive terms carry, potentially, an evaluative charge and this is particularly strong where “science” is concerned, given the place it occupies in today’s world. Besides, the question of the applicability of that term to ancient societies is a classical instance of the methodological problem . . . (12)

職是之故，所謂「不科學的古代」和「科學的現代」這種二分法(Great Divide) 是不可取的。

        Lloyd比較三個古文明中對天文星象知識建立的意義：古代美索不達米亞文明、古希臘與古代中國。中國重視曆法與天文，此乃攸關國運興亡大事；古代美索不達米亞文化也存在類似的觀點。這些文明似乎很不科學地迷信星象占卜，但在上位者重視與支持的條件下，展開仔細、慎密、長期的研究觀察與紀錄。古希臘文中占星學(astrology)與天文學(astronomy)是可以互換的字，星象與神話故事息息相關，然而古希臘人獨到之處就是想像與觀察，創建天文知識體系。

        天象的觀察，提高知識洞見，也為了預測未知；但是除此之外，古希臘科學還朝向兩個面向，引用Lloyd的文字：

Yet as is clear from other remarks in Ptolemy, especially, the regularity that was thereby shown to exist in the heavens was considered as a sign not just of predictability and intelligibility, but also of order and of beauty. (20)

觀天象，之人倫，所謂的宇宙秩序(order)藏著倫理；此外，自然本身也是美的最高境界，如John Keats的詩作 “Ode on a Grecian Urn”最後兩行傳達的古希臘理想: “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all/Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. 古希臘的科學本身與倫理美學是一體的。

        有趣的是，宇宙(κόσμος)的希臘字源已然揭示秩序與美好的雙重意義。