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13 - The transmission of science and philosophy

from Part III - Growing interactions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

By
Charles Burnett
Edited by
Benjamin Z. Kedar  and
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
Benjamin Z. Kedar
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
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Summary

This chapter concentrates on the theoretical sciences: man's reasoning concerning the world that he lives in; about the visible and the invisible; and about causes and beginnings. It also focuses on sciences that can be pursued beyond the elevation of the human spirit, though there can be practical applications. As an Iranian himself, Ibn Nawbakht was likely to support an Iranian tradition for the transmission of science. But legends of the transmission of science also reflect reality. In the Middle Millennium, certain courts or cities stand out as hubs of learning and intellectual exchanges. The preservation and transmission of science belonged to the bureaus in which different traditions were kept apart. One would expect the transmission of science and philosophy to transcend religious boundaries. In the course of transmission, whether by teaching, or through the translation of texts, ideas become transformed, and appropriated to new situations and cultures.
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge World History , pp. 339 - 358
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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References

Further reading

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