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Routledge Revivals The Origins of Science First published in 1962 The Origins of Science tries to explain scientific thought from its historical and psychological origins. The depth of psychology of today rather than traditional epistemology is needed in order to understand the problems of knowledge. Reality is the first problem of the scientist; it is exemplified by the idea of object, or of matter. The development of this idea from its Greek beginnings is traced and the unconscious mechanisms that underlie our thought processes -of abstraction, general- isation, etc.- are made manifest. The second problem is that of truth; it is illustrated by examples from the history of mathematics and of logic. Again, the ‘psychology’ of what we accept as truth is made explicit. Scientific method is the intellectual safeguard for the criteria of truth and reality. Instead of traditional induction, the creative view of scientific activity must be accepted. This book is a must read for scholars and researchers of philosophy of science and philosophy in general. The Origins of Science An Inquiry into the Foundations of Western Thought Ernest H. Hutten Firstpublishedin1962 byGeorgeAllen&UnwinLtd. Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2022byRoutledge 4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN andbyRoutledge 605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017 RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness ©GeorgeAllen&UnwinLtd,1962 Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedorutilisedin any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers. Publisher’sNote Thepublisherhasgonetogreatlengthstoensurethequalityofthisreprintbutpoints outthatsomeimperfectionsintheoriginalcopiesmaybeapparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes correspondencefromthosetheyhavebeenunabletocontact. ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderISBN:0049460072 ISBN:978-1-032-36747-7(hbk) ISBN:978-1-003-33357-9(ebk) ISBN:978-1-032-36748-4(pbk) BookDOI10.4324/9781003333579 THE ORIGINS OF SCIENCE AN INQUIRY INTO THE FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN THOUGHT by ERNEST H. HUTTEN London GEORGE ALLEN AND UNWIN LTD RUSKIN HOUSE MUSEUM STREET FIRST PUBLISHED IN I962 This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study > research^ criticism, or review, as per- mitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no portion may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the publisher (g) George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1962 PREFACE My aim in this book is to explain science from its historical and psychological origins. To explain the concepts of science has always been the task of philosophy. In the first part of the book, I argue that traditional philosophy cannot fulfil this task, because it has not kept up with science. Philosophy and science, however, originated together with the Greeks, whose attitude of rationality, indeed, made science possible. Instead of classical epistemology, there- fore, the depth psychology of today has to be used in order to understand the problems of knowledge. We do not acquire knowledge by a conscious, intellectual process of perception alone; unconscious processes are in fact more important. The search for knowledge is the natural expression of a human drive; and the development of science is then part of Man's evolution. Thus the growth of scientific ideas is explained scientifically, by means of the theory of psycho-analysis. The second part consists of two main chapters, on the Atom and on Causality. Reality is the concern of the scientist and it is exemplified by the idea of object, or of matter. The development of this idea from its beginnings in Ionia to the Atomists is described. This historical development is shown to be parallel to the emotional or mental evolution which human beings undergo in infancy and adolescence. The unconscious mechanisms that underlie our thought processes—of abstraction, generalization, etc.—are thus made manifest. Then the idea of cause is traced from its origin in the Greek aitia, or guilt, to modern determinism and statistics. The third part of the book is concerned with the idea of truth. The argument is drawn from the history of mathematics and from logic. Four main ideas, apart from number, are dis- cussed, i.e. symbol, system, rule, and truth. The Pythagorean concept of number is the beginning of mathematical symbolism and offers us an insight into the thought processes underlying it through the well-known phantasies that were expressed by the Greeks. Formal reasoning in the western sense developed from 6 THE ORIGINS OF SCIENCE this beginning to the mathematical logic of today. This allows us to suggest an interpretation of the modern concept of truth. In the last part, scientific method as the intellectual safeguard for the criteria of truth and reality is described. Instead of traditional induction, however, we now accept the creative view of scientific activity. This is explained, once more, by referring to the history and psychology of the problems of knowledge. Some of the material contained in this book was presented in three lectures to the Imago Group (London): the chapter on the Greek Atom on May 6, 1957, and the chapters on Number and on the Mind-Body Problem at later occasions. I am glad to note that two of my fellow-members of the Group, Mr A. Stokes and Dr M. Balint, were able to make use of my ideas in their recently published books. I am indebted to Dr John Klauber who read the manuscript and gave me the benefit of his criticism. My main indebtedness is to Dr A. Ehrenzweig whose stimulating conversation and friendly interest over the years have helped me greatly in formulating the ideas presented here. ERNEST H. HUTTEN Royal Holloway College, University of London.