Studies in Science of Science ›› 2024, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (9): 1816-1823.

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A Study of the Influence of City-state Politics on the Structural Characteristics of Greek Science

  

  • Received:2023-07-31 Revised:2024-01-20 Online:2024-09-15 Published:2024-09-15

城邦政治对希腊科学结构特征的影响研究

顾超1,李健2   

  1. 1. 北京大学政府管理学院中国政治学研究中心
    2. 北京大学
  • 通讯作者: 顾超
  • 基金资助:
    北京大学2023年本科教学改革项目“《科技政治学》跨学科课程建设”

Abstract: Greek science is considered to be the origin of modern science because of its rational and liberal structural features. Greek science mainly adopted a theoretical-formal rational way of thinking, existed purely for its own sake, lacked utilitarian and practical purposes, was poorly institutionalized, and was highly competitive. From the perspective of Politics of Science, city-state politics was a key factor in shaping the structural characteristics of Greek science. On the one hand, civic participation shaped the rational character of Greek science. At the heart of the political process of citizen engagement is persuasion, and the Greek science it nourished is also adept at debate. Considering that pure political debate and persuasion are not powerful enough, Greek science used the method of proof and reasoning to obtain unquestionable, which is conducive to the emergence and development of theory-formal rationality to a large extent. On the other hand, political liberty shaped the liberal character of Greek science. The equality of all citizens in political rights (isonomia) ensured the non-utilitarian nature of Greek science; The freedom of speech (isegoria) of citizens to speak about public affairs made Greek science highly competitive; The ideological power of the city-state was separated from the political power, so that Greek science was less institutionalized.

摘要: 希腊科学被认为是现代科学的萌芽,因为希腊科学具有理性和自由的结构特征。希腊科学主要采用理论—形式理性的思维方式,纯粹为自身而存在,缺乏功利和实用的目的,体制化程度很低,竞争性很强。从科技政治学的视角看,城邦政治是塑造希腊科学结构特征的关键因素。一方面,公民参与塑造了希腊科学的理性特征:公民参与的政治过程的核心是说服,其滋养的希腊科学也长于辩论。考虑到单纯的政治性辩论说服还不够有力,希腊科学用证明、推理的方法来获得不容置疑性,这在很大程度上有利于理论—形式理性的产生和发展。另一方面,城邦的政治自由塑造了希腊科学的自由特征:所有公民在政治权利上的平等(isonomia)保障了希腊科学的非功利性;公民谈论公共事务的言论自由(isegoria)使希腊科学具有很强的竞争性;城邦国家的意识形态权力与政治权力是分立的,因此希腊科学的体制化程度较低。