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Ernst Mach and the Biological Origins of Science (https://youtu.be/XdgWvhBOq8A)
Ernst Mach merged science with early human activity, mainly early animal activity. Mach believed that simple adaptations which caused responses to become instinctive to an animals environmental conditions evolve into a long term memory and broaden their senses. These engraved instincts that were individual became communicated culturally. With this belief it is thought “science is a direct outgrowth of this deep natural process.” In an article Mach often referred he wrote... -
Ernst Mach and the Nature of Scientific Change and Progress
Mach is the forefather of the “major epistemological metaphors of scientific change”Mach emphasized the importance of natural variation and had a Feyerabendian tolerance of nonscientific beliefs.He believed variation is something that was produced by accident, not consciously.The mind is unable to come up with ideas by itself thus unable to directly creativity, so variation is not directed.Mach believes once variation is produced“scientists choose those ideas which best fit the facts.” -
Ernst Mach and the Biological Purpose of Science
Process is merely a “further degree of development of instinctive and primitive thought.” Mach’s teleological views on the developmental process of evolution gave light to what we consider science being a participant in the process of evolution. An example is how our eyes have evolved to help us adapt in different environments and conditions like how science has evolved to aid us in adapting to the changing world. Science is an outcome and apart of this biologically rooted process. -
Ernst Mach and the Biological Origins of Science cont
“Here I wish simply to consider the growth of natural knowledge in the light of the theory of evolution. For knowledge, too, is a product of organic nature.” Mach believed the advantage primitive man had over his “animal fellows” was the strength of his individual memory which became reinforced by memory that was communicated by their ancestors. Therefore Mach thought because the scientific process is derived from popular belief through a series of biological development the...