The Relevance for Science of Western and Eastern Cultures Daniel Memmi UQAM Montreal, QC, Canada
[email protected] Abstract: The rise of modern science took place in Western Europe, and one may ask why this was the case. We analyze the roots of modern science by replacing scientific ideas within the framework of Western culture, notably the twin heritage of biblical thought and Greek philosophy. We also investigate Eastern (mostly Chinese) traditions so as to highlight Western beliefs by comparison, and to argue for their relevance to contemporary science. Classical Western conceptions that fostered the rise of science are now largely obsolete, and Eastern thought might be a source of new insights. Keywords: Science, Culture, Modern science, Western culture, Eastern culture, West, East 1 Introduction Science was not born in a vacuum, but in a specific society and culture at a particular time of history. Modern science arose in Western Europe during the Renaissance and developed mostly in Europe before becoming a worldwide pursuit in the 20th century. Why did modern science originate in Western Europe and not elsewhere? Other civilizations had reached a high level of theoretical knowledge (notably in astronomy and mathematics) and could boast of impressive technical achievements. Chinese, Indian and Islamic cultures come to mind for recent times, and Greek civilization in Antiquity had elaborated important scientific 1 concepts and theories. But all these early efforts stopped short of the systematic development of modern science, which happened only in Europe. We will contend that European culture, derived mainly from the Bible and Greek philosophy, presented the perfect mix of beliefs to make modern science possible.