The evolution of knowledge : rethinking science for the Anthropocene / Jurgen Renn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Renn, Jürgen, Author.

Series:

Gale eBooks

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Science--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xviii, 561 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2020]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A fundamentally new approach to the history of science and technologyThis book presents a new way of thinking about the history of science and technology, one that offers a grand narrative of human history in which knowledge serves as a critical factor of cultural evolution. Jürgen Renn examines the role of knowledge in global transformations going back to the dawn of civilization while providing vital perspectives on the complex challenges confronting us today in the Anthropocene-this new geological epoch shaped by humankind.Renn reframes the history of science and technology within a much broader history of knowledge, analyzing key episodes such as the evolution of writing, the emergence of science in the ancient world, the Scientific Revolution of early modernity, the globalization of knowledge, industrialization, and the profound transformations wrought by modern science. He investigates the evolution of knowledge using an array of disciplines and methods, from cognitive science and experimental psychology to earth science and evolutionary biology. The result is an entirely new framework for understanding structural changes in systems of knowledge-and a bold new approach to the history and philosophy of science.Written by one of today's preeminent historians of science, The Evolution of Knowledge features essays on historiographical themes, a glossary of key terms, and practical insights on global issues ranging from climate change to digital capitalism. This incisive book also serves as an invaluable introduction to the history of knowledge.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Explanatory Boxes

The Story of This Book

Chapter 1: History of Science in the Anthropocene

Chapter 2: Elements of a Historical Theory of Human Knowledge

Chapter 3: The Historical Nature of Abstraction and Representation

Chapter 4: Structural Changes in Systems of Knowledge

Chapter 5: External Representations at Work

Chapter 6: Mental Models at Work

Chapter 7: The Nature of Scientific Revolutions

Chapter 8: The Economy of Knowledge

Chapter 9: An Economy of Practical Knowledge

Chapter 10: Knowledge Economies in History

Chapter 11: The Globalization of Knowledge in History

Chapter 12: The Multiple Origins of the Natural Sciences

Chapter 13: Epistemic Networks

Chapter 14: Epistemic Evolution

Chapter 15: Exodus from the Holocene

Chapter 16: Knowledge for the Anthropocene

Chapter 17: Science and the Challenges of Humanity

Glossary

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780691185675

0691185670

OCLC:

1238027675