The history of science as the progress of the human spirit: The historiography of astronomy in the eighteenth century

ŠPELDA, Daniel. The history of science as the progress of the human spirit: The historiography of astronomy in the eighteenth century. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A. Oxford: Elsevier, 2017, vol. 63, No 1, p. 48-57. ISSN 0039-3681. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2017.05.004.

Basic information

• Original name: The history of science as the progress of the human spirit: The historiography of astronomy in the eighteenth century
• Name in Czech: Historie vědy jako pokrok lidského ducha: Historiografie astronomie v 18. století
• Authors: ŠPELDA, Daniel (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, Oxford, Elsevier, 2017, 0039-3681.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 60301 Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
• Country of publisher: Netherlands
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 0.748
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14210/17:00097035
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2017.05.004
• UT WoS: 000405054500006
• Keywords (in Czech): Historiography of astronomy; The history of the human spirit; The idea of scientific progress; Montucla; Bailly
• Keywords in English: Historiography of astronomy; The history of the human spirit; The idea of scientific progress; Montucla; Bailly
• Tags: rivok
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

In the eighteenth century, the historiography of astronomy was part of a wider discussion concerning the history of the human spirit. The concept of the human spirit was very popular among Enlightenment authors because it gave the history of human knowledge continuity, unity and meaning. Using this concept, scientists and historians of science such as Montucla, Lalande, Bailly and Laplace could present the history of astronomy in terms of a progress towards contemporary science that was slow and could be interrupted at times, but was still constant, regular, and necessary. In my paper I intend to explain how the originally philosophical concept of the human spirit was transferred to the history of astronomy. I also introduce the basic principles to which the development of the spirit is subject in astronomy, according to historians of astronomy. The third part of the paper describes how historians of astronomy took into account the effect of social and natural factors on the history of astronomy. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abstract (in Czech)

V 18. století byla historiografie astronomie součástí širší diskuse o dějinách lidského ducha. Pojem lidského ducha byl mezi osvícenci velmi oblíbený, protože dával dějinám lidského ducha kontinuitu, jednotu a smysl. Vědci a historikové vědy, jak byli Montucla, Lalande, Bailly a Laplace, užívali tento pojem k tomu, aby představili dějiny astronomie v kategoriích pokroku k současné vědě - pokroku, který byl pomalý a mohl být občas přerušen, ale stále byl konstantní, pravidelný a nutný. Ve svém článku hodlám vysvětlit, jak byl původně filosofický pojem lidského ducha přenesen na dějiny astronomie.

Links

• MUNI/21/SPE/2016, interní kód MU: Name: Od pokroku vědy k pokroku lidstva

Investor: Masaryk University