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Re: Western domination in Knowledge by Romain Kroes 20 June 2002 14:49 UTC |
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In support of the thesis of the author of "Western domination in knowledge", there is a feature of Newton's works which is much enlightening, although little known. It is related to the determinist method applied by Newton not only to the prediction of the position of a mobile in time and space, but, too, to the prophecies of Daniel's Book (Isaac Newton : Observations upon the prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St John, London, Roberts, 1733). In one case, it is of a physicist, reputed to be approaching the objective reality, and in the other case, it is of a delirious Puritan. But they are of the same man. The Sri Lankan author is right: Lorentz and Einstein do not merely correct a too much approximative approach to the objective reality. They refute a determinism which is directly related to Newton's Puritan belief in the predestination. However, it seems very difficult to deny that the "western domination in knowledge" has allowed us to understand some objective realities and to act on them. But on another hand, the same humanist movement that gave birth to sciences has generated, too, the scientism of the 18th century which is still in force and even worst nowadays. In our scientific ideology, only the "objective reality" has the answer to the researcher's asking. The researcher is supposed to be neutral as long as he respects the scientific method of investigation. Now, who does formulate the questioning? And who does the laboratory preparation of the sample which will answer? Two questions that refer to the psychology and the ideology of the researcher and of his world. Is there a western domination in the knowledge, or in the world? Romain Kroës
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