1. SFGS 6121
History & Philosophy of S&T
“The Intelligibility of Nature”
HOW SCIENCE MAKES SENSE OF THE WORLD
Peter Dear
Group Presentation
1) Nik Aman Bazhleeshah Nik Mat (SMB 110001)
2) Mohd Fadhli Rahmat Fakri (SMB 110010)
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2. Outline of Presentation:
1) Brief biography of the Author: Peter Dear
2) Introduction:
“Science as Natural Philosophy, Science as
Instrumentality”:
i. Two Faces of Science:
ii. Instrumentality and the History of Science
iii. Natural Philosophy and Intelligibility
3) Summary / Conclusion
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3. WHO’s PETER DEAR?
Peter Dear is professor of science and technology
studies and history at Cornell University.
He is the author of Revolutionizing the Sciences:
European Knowledge and Its Ambitions, 1500–1700 and
Discipline and Experience: The Mathematical Way in the
Scientific Revolution, the latter published by the
University of Chicago Press.
Reference: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/author/D/P/au5092396.html
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4. SFGS 6121
History & Philosophy of S&T
1 THE TWO FACES OF SCIENCE
1. Science and Scientists
2. Science as Natural Philosophy
3. Characteristics of Scientist
4. Science as Instrumentality
5. Reality of Modern Sciences
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5. 1 Two Faces of Science
Dear’s portrayed science with 2 different faces as
follows:
as Natural Philosophy
as Instrumentality
Its concern with explaining and understanding the natural
world (science as natural philosophy), and it claims to
practical efficacy (science as engineering or manipulation
/ instrumentality)
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6. Discussion on Science & Scientists
When dealing with natural world, most people would
most likely to refer to scientists, such as:
Astronomer / astrophysicist – stars
Geneticist – biological inheritance
Images taken from: http://sciencemuseum.org.uk
Geologist / Geophysicist – History of the earth
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7. Discussion on Science & Scientists
Science – very prominent label that we apply
to those body of knowledge reckoned to be
most solidly grounded in evidence, critical
experimentation & observation, and rigorous
reasoning.
Scientists - recognizable as a group by their
tendency, in such circumstances, to stick
together.
From them, we receive an account of how
things work / are in the natural around us –
an account of what kind of universe it is that
we are a part of.
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8. Science as Natural Philosophy
-chronologically : regarding terms-
Early 19th century, Natural Philosophy = standard
way of referring to an intellectual endeavor
aimed at understanding nature.
End of 19th century, natural philosophy absorbed
into “science” (today’s term), on which the 1st
term largely fell into disuse.
Natural Philosophy : Dear’s states that Natural
Philosophy is worth reviving due to its focuses
aspects of science concerned with explaining
and understanding the world – scientific
worldview.
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Image taken from: http://artsci.uc.edu

9. Characteristic of Scientists
Fonts of wisdom about the world
“priests of nature”, typically inhabiting universities
Some work for business corporations / military
concerns
Do practical things that others want
Popular image of a scientist: in a white-coat, invent
something
Prestigious label of science due to its frequent
association with technological achievement.
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Images taken from: http://rainbowskill.com

10. Science as Instrumentality
Besides science as Natural Philosophy, science are
said to be:
Operational
Instrumental
Set of techniques used to do things
in simpler words, science = engineering,
regardless of its variety: mechanical, genetic,
computational/other practical intervention
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11. Reality of Modern Science
Scientists / People with doctorates in relevant
scientific fields will become a focal point that most fit
to provide guidance (scientist know how nature
works).
Gained-status as authorities, experts resides above all in
their presumed ability to speak on matters of pressing
practical importance.
Still debated by scholars, there is no easy and direct
association between scientific truth-claims AND
technical achievement than what is usually supposed
(such as the usual distinction between “pure / basic”
and “applied” sciences)
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Images taken from http://stormileonard.blogspot.com

12. SFGS 6121
History & Philosophy of S&T
2 INSTRUMENTALITY & HISTORY OF SCIENCES
1. Brief account of fundamental science discovery: Aether
2. Brief account of fundamental science discovery: The story of heat
3. Lesson learnt from History
4. The Notion of Instrumentality
5. In a nutshell – Science as an amalgam & ambiguous
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13. Instrumentality and
2 the history of science
Brief account of fundamental science discovery: Aether
 Before the acceptance of the existence of radio waves, science
community believed that all void space were filled with “aether”.
 Aether was believed to produce the forces found in the phenomena
of electricity and magnetism.
 Radio waves were predicted on the premises that aether existed.
 However few people would agree that, the ability to produce and
detect the material does not means there is really aether filling the
universe.
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14. Instrumentality and
the history of science
Brief account of fundamental science discovery: The story of heat
 In 17th century, heat was regarded as an effect of particles matter in
rapid agitation.
 Then in 18th century, it was perceived as a type of fluid that pervades
bodies like water in a sponge.
 In 19th century the heat was viewed again as a rapid motion of
particles – the kinetic theory of heat.
 Before the acceptance of Einstein special theory of relativity, many
physicist in material aether, but after the acceptance of Einstein
theory the aether theory no longer needed.
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15. Instrumentality and
the history of science
What is define as Instrumentality?
 Instrumentality - the successful application of a theory
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16. Instrumentality and
the history of science
Lesson learnt from history
 Instrumentality - the successful application of a theory
does not reflect the truth of a theory
 The progression of science was not linear and parallel
process, but the development that continuously change in
many of its important features.
 The shifted views as illustrated by history of science i.e.:
from aether to Einstein theory of relativity involves the
radical alteration in views of the natural world
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17. Instrumentality and
the history of science
Lesson learned from history
The flips back and forth fundamental questions about the
underlying nature of physical phenomena do not means
nothing really changes in science natural philosophical
understanding, indeed it does but in the refinement nature
of the theory and also solving the vague concepts through
the use of current methodologies, techniques and
technologies.
Although the vague concept would not give an
approximation of a true picture of what the natural world
really is, but it is accepted as nearly to the truth.
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18. Instrumentality and
the history of science
Lesson learned from history
 Why a particular view of the nature would be
preferred over any other?
 Scientific theories is believe to be true because of their
workability, philosophers of science often regards the
practical success of a theory as something to be
explained by the truth of it theory
 Effective usefulness of a theory is used as evidence for
the natural philosophy, the application of a theory
assumes the underlying explanation of it
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19. The notion of instrumentality
 The usefulness of a theory is another science component,
distinguishable from its natural philosophy
 The instrumentality of science often used to explain the
natural philosophical claims and vice versa the natural
philosophical arguments use instrumentality success to
explain it. i.e.: the workability of electron microscopes
 To believe instrumentality is effective is to believe the
natural philosophy truth
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20. The notion of instrumentality
Cultural impact of instrumentality
 The view that instrumentality is only the application of
natural philosophy have made huge cultural impact on
modern society: [icon of science – TV, nuclear]
 People perceive science as the powerful force to
create and change things, and not seeing science as
the truth of the natural world.
 If it was perceived as truth, the acceptance of
instrumentality efficacy would be used to justify
truthfulness.
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21. In a nutshell – what’s actually science?
Science is an amalgam of natural philosophy
and instrumentality…
And each is not always clearly present with the
other in ever field…
Describing natural philosophy entails describing
instrumentality – it shows that science
instrument technique effective.
“by virtue of science (true) natural philosophy,
how is science natural philosophy shown to be
true?
“by virtue of science (effective) instrumental
capabilities”
21 Image takenf from: http://nature.com

22. In a nutshell – what’s actually science?
THIS IS
SCIENCE?
Is it a staircase go upwards from right to the left?
Or is it a terraced ceiling? 22

23. In a nutshell – what’s actually science?
The Two faces of science are related is not
straightforward, side by side and always can be
sharply distinguished from each other.
Thus the picture/statement of science is not changing
but it is how we look at it. The switching at looking at
it.
Science is ambiguous (have many connotations) and
can represent as natural philosophy (describing the
natural world)
and it represent instrumentality as well (describing of
system involving theoretical concept)
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24. In a nutshell – what’s actually science?
The “ambiguity” nature of science statement
has misled what is science and the character it
have…
With that we continue to the next section of discussion…
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25. SFGS 6121
History & Philosophy of S&T
NATURAL PHILOSOPHY AND INTELLIGIBILITY
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1. Characteristics of Natural Philosophy
2. Distinction between Natural Philosophy & Science
3. From Natural Philosophy to Science
4. Science as Instrumentality
5. Intelligibility and Example
6. Conclusion
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26. 3
Natural Philosophy and Intelligibility
-characteristics of Natural Philosophy-
1) Regarded as a much older enterprise than modern
science
2) Understood in literature culture as an enterprise that’s
entirely separate from practical knowledge or know-
how.
3) Distinction’s rooted in the works of Greek philosopher
Aristotle (4th Century BC): Aristotle’s Greek terms that
has been translated into Latin: epistēmē and ‘techne’ AND
scientia (science) and ars (art).
Episteme & Scientia
Demonstrate logically & empirically the knowledge of truth
Techne & Ars (Technology & Artificial)
Skilled practice of manipulating material things)
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27. Characteristics Of Natural Philosophy
Those terms by Aristotle reflect Ancient Greek social
arrangements:
philosopher ONLY referring to free men (e.g: citizens of
the city state)
Practical skills were for servants & slaves
Aristotle regarded episteme: much more worthier/noble
compared to practical abilities, were agreed
wholeheartedly and adopted during medieval and early-
modern university .
Scientia: concerned with understanding & explaining the
natural world was “Natural Philosophy” often called
“physics” (Greek’s word: physis = nature)
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28. Distinction: Natural Philosophy & Science
(good examples by the author)
Natural Philosophy (N.P) Science
1 N.P study of the heavens Astronomy (not part of N.P), but
counted as part of mathematics
2 Answering questions: Providing answers for:
i) What the heavens are made i) Positions & movements of
of? celestial bodies
ii) What moves the sun, moon, ii) Tracking lights in the sky
and planets? iii) Applying geometry to their
iii) Whether universe is finite or behaviors
infinite?
Simpler words: providing
Simpler words: try to understand formalized descriptions &
the nature of heavens predictions of heavenly motions
for practical uses – casting
horoscopes, constructing
calendars, navigating by the
stars)
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29. From Natural Philosophy to Science
New conception evoked in 17th century and early 18th century
1) Ideas of Francis Bacon (17th century): opposed Aristotelians’
Natural Philosophy and asserted that a true natural philosophy
should be concerned with active intervention in nature for the
benefit of mankind.
2) Isaac Newton’s English followers promoted a view of nature
that underpinned and legitimated much greater concern with
practical matters on the part of the upper echelons of society
(people who sought to make money from improvements in
agriculture, mining and increasingly manufactures).
3) Doing things and understanding things became increasingly
interweave with one another, which eventually the label
“Natural Philosophy” faded away, absorbed by “science”.
4) If we restrict the label of “natural philosophy” from cultural
activity so-called “science”, it would not be the same as the old
natural philosophy - now articulated in the quite alien terms
of INSTRUMENTALITY; hybrid of 2 formerly distinct endeavors.
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30. Science as Instrumentality
The natural-philosophical component of science portrayed
the most profound role in shaping our views of ourselves.
Question:
What gives scientific knowledge-claims their powerful authority
over our imaginations?
Answer:
Their association with multi-instrumentalities; contemporary
science & technology are called “technoscience” – representing
2 as a single enterprise.
At fundamental level, there’s the powerful social authority of
science serves to render most people unable to refuse a
knowledge-claim presented as a “scientific fact”, even though
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they are incapable of judging its truth for themselves.

31. Intelligibility & Example
In 19th century, one profound example of intelligibility
concerns with sensibilities about how to understand
nature:
Idea of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin: a
satisfactory way of explaining how the organic world
comes to display apparent designfulnes and purpose
which implied a benevolent Creator God who
deliberately made them that way.
Intelligibility = ultimately an irreducible category – by
definition cannot analyze fundamental, bedrock
principles down to anything more basic than
themselves
An account makes sense just because it does, NOT
because of some prior condition / criterion; self-evident
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Image taken from http://crystalinks.com

32. Intelligibility & Example
Natural Selection by Charles Darwin
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Image taken from http://crystalinks.com, video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFOW6UxHRLE&feature=related

33. Summary / Conclusion
Historically, clashes/tension between natural
philosophy and instrumentality has yielded views of
the universe that one dependent on particular human
conceptions of WHAT MAKES SENSE.
Science is ambiguous;
can represent as natural philosophy (describing
the natural world)
and it represent instrumentality as well
(describing of system involving theoretical
concept)
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34. Summary / Conclusion
Intelligibility = essential element of natural philosophy or
in simpler words, “feeling at home in the world”.
Perhaps, difficulties of some people find in “feeling at
home” in the modern world maybe due to:
Instrumentality increasingly displaced part of natural-
philosophical intelligibility.
THANK YOU!
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