History of World Civilization & Knowledge

The history of world civilization is a history in shifts in bodies of knowledge and worldview as much as a shift in cultures or regimes. The theories and philosophy of Thomas Kuhn revolve around his concept of scientific paradigms and his view of how science progresses. Kuhn viewed scientific progress as a cyclical and continuously evolving discipline with three stages of evolution that repeat and evolve: normal science, crisis, scientific revolution. Normal science is the generally accepted framework, theories or shared understanding between scientists within a particular discipline. Normal science represents a period of stability in which scientists trained under the dominate theories of the time continue to refine and enhance the main theories or paradigms that have led to a period of stability. When enough experimentation reaches conclusions that differ or are anomalous to the generally accepted paradigms, a period of crisis results. Further experimentation leads to a new round of normal science through scientific revolution. Thus, the three stages cycle and evolve while it is the general paradigms that are accepted through experimentation that lend stability to normal science. Kuhn's view of paradigms saw scientific practices that are accepted as leading to models. From these models spring traditions of scientific research that one community or another acknowledges for a period of time. Such models serve as the foundation for further scientific practice and exp

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the universe through reason. Both the Christian and Aristotelian worldview encompassed principles or self-evident truths. One of these was that nature is orderly. Another of these is that man and the natural order are governed by the same principles. Within the Aristotelian and particularly the Christian worldview, God rules the universe. At the center of the universe is earth and man. Men are ruled by the state which rules by Divine Right. The doctrine of divine right gives authority to rulers by birth alone, a right based on the laws of God and nature. The ruler is not responsible to those he governs, but to God only. The doctrine of divine right arose primarily as a reaction to papal claims of authority within the political sphere. The universe, state and society will be in harmony when the hierarchical authority is maintained. Men like Jacques Bousset and Robert Filmer helped solidify the concept of divine rule, thereby giving rulers God-granted authority to rule. Bousset argues that the person of the king is sacred. He felt God anointed kings and they exist by their very being as a representative of God to carry out his purposes. Christian worldview held that nature follows fixed laws and human can think ratio

Category: History - H