Science In The Islamic Empire

917 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Islamic golden age science

Science sees itself implemented in two distinct yet intertwined ways in society. Natural philosophy is science for understanding of nature, where as instrumentality is employing the practicality of science and mastery over matter for the benefit of society. The Islamic Empire saw itself at frontline of science for around 500 years. The science of the Islamic Empire was characterized by both the employment of the practicality of knowledge from translating the texts of other societies along with advancements in natural philosophy.

Natural philosophy might have played a much smaller role in Islamic science but is not to be overlooked. Al ma’mun built observatories as high as three stories in order to gain a better understanding of the cosmos. With these tools, Islamic astronomers made accurate descriptions of the heavens and created their own geocentric views of the orbits of the heavenly bodies. Attached to many of these observatories were great libraries. Islamic libraries contained a wealth of knowledge which was taken from other civilizations and translated to Arabic such as the House of Wisdom. These libraries had upwards of 2 million books, a massive accomplishment considering they did not have movable type. The Islamic Empire also saw great advances in mathematical understanding with the creation of trigonometry and algebra.

The Islamic Empire took great lengths to expand their understanding of the natural world. The Caliph sent scholars to Persia, Rome, and Greece who brought back texts that were translated to Arabic. There were court appointed patronages which allowed for mastery of secular sciences. This effort allowed for advances in abstract studies of subjects such as optics and math. Medical schools are...

... middle of paper ...

...atronage of higher learning institutions was for the purpose of implementing the teachings for betterment of society.

The Islamic Empire explored natural philosophy and employed these understandings in instrumentality. They accumulated the natural philosophy of other cultures and expanded on their ideas in accordance with practicality. The Islamic Empire was the most advanced scientific nation for 500 years but declined because there was not much need for improvement in functioning. Career scientist only existed amongst the rich. The Islamic Empire is focused on the instrumentality of science, but even with the pronounced focus of instrumentality, the Islamic Empire experienced a dynamic between the dichotomy of instrumentality and natural philosophy, each seemingly distinct branch of science ebbing and flowing with the support and advancement of one another.

Show More
Related

  • Innovations In Eurasia

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    As the classical world became more globalized, more countries gained a larger spot on the world stage. When a country had a desireable study or technology, they earned more respect on the global stage. This can be further examined by looking at Marco Polo’s voyage into Asia. Upon returning to Europe, Polo reported on Asian technologies that had been previously unknown of. These included the silk produced, astrolabe, the compass and the movable-block printing. These technologies became commodities in Europe of high demand. Therefore, much of Asia had a large export. This gained them respect on the European stage. This also increased European interest in Asia, furthering the trends of globalization that had been seen with the development of the Silk Road. This can also be examined through the prominence of madrasas. These were religious colleges and centers of philosophical learning. They originated as a byproduct of Islamic presence in the Caliphates. These learning centers attracted Christian European scholars to much of Islamic Spain and Asia. As the work of translators such as, Averroes, made these scientific findings accessible for larger populations, the Muslim world grew in prominence in Eurasia. A less prevalent byproduct of these globalization and contact was the boosting of economies. As scientific learning centers and new

    Read More

  • The Crusades: Salvation or Exploitation

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...alebi, M., Yusoff, K., and Nor, M.R.M,. (2012). The Impact of Islamic Civilization and Culture

    Read More

  • Muslim Technology on the Iberian Peninsula and Western Europe

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Moorish presence on the Iberian Peninsula lasted from 711 C.E. until 1492 C.E. While the rest of Europe wallowed in the Dark Ages, in Islamic Spain the flame of knowledge was kept burning by the Muslim invaders. While they possessed a vast body of knowledge in their own right; furthermore, they also posses writing from Greek philosophers as well as the library at Alexandria. Christians, Muslims, and Jews thrived under Muslim rule, exchanging ideas and knowledge that would be passed on to the rest of Europe during and after the Reconquista. It is my opinion that this knowledge and technology led Europe into the renaissance. The Damascene technique of metal-smithing, industrial chemistry and the water clock are some examples of the technology passed on.

    Read More

  • The Islam and The Islamic Empire

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thesis: Islam and The Islamic Empire started suddenly and spread rapidly over a 500+ year period because of political, cultural, and religious reasons.

    Read More

  • The Islamic Golden Age Of The Islamic Golden Age

    1992 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Islamic Golden Age began in the 7th century to the end of the 13th century. The Islamic Golden age is the era in which the Muslims created one of the largest empires. The Golden Ages started with the Prophet Muhammad. There were two Islamic Golden Ages. The first Golden Age lasting about two centuries from the 7th century to the 9th century. In the first Golden Age, society is being integrated in political, social, and moral dimensions in Islam (Lapidus 14). The second Golden Age lasted about five centuries from the 9th century to the 14th century. During the second Golden Age the state and religious institutions were separate, leaving the political and religious elites divided (Lapidus 13). Muhammad, not an immense influence starting out,

    Read More

  • New Atheism Essay

    2314 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, religion has played one of the most significant roles within human existence and has been believed to be the source whereby our governing laws have been derived. However, dating back to as early as the 3rd to 6th century, Greek philosophers inclusive of Diagoras of Melos, Euhemerus, alongside the schools of Hindu philosophy, Samkhya and the Greek Cyrenaic School were all amongst some of the first who did not accept the idea of God (Friedrich, 1942, 25). In the 7th century and during the Early Middle Ages, undergoing the Golden Age, the idea of knowledge was emphasised amongst the Muslim world, translating and collaborating knowledge from all over the world, giving rise to a group of people known as the Dahriyya who were the ‘holders of materialistic opinions of vari...

    Read More

  • How Did Arab Astronomers Influence The Development Of Arabic Astronomy?

    525 Words  | 2 Pages

    One could thus easily argue that the Arab astronomers contributed strongly to the development of this scientific method, which would further spread to Europe and elsewhere as the Islamic empire grew, and would continue to influence European astronomers as time passed; the need to test accepted theories is a principle that is still upheld today. Moreover, by doing this, “the Arab astronomers verified results given in the Almaghest on fundamental astronomical quantities” such as “the obliquity of the ecliptic, the precession of the equinoxes, [and] the length of the tropical year”. [1] Subsequently, the Arab astronomers began “to raise objections against some of the views expressed by their revered Greek predecessors” [3]; the Arabs were more attentive to “regular and systematic observations than the Greeks”, regarding “measured data” as highly important [1]. A prominent example is the Almaghest itself, which contains the critique and reformation of Ptolemy’s models, arguably one of the most astounding endeavours in Arabic astronomy, and long before the likes of astronomers such as Copernicus and

    Read More

  • The Rise and Spread of Islam

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ts and knowledge from other nations and made sometime improved it or added to it and passed it on to other nations, which strengthened the belief of Islam even more to people. All in all, the rise and spread of Islam was very significant during the Postclassical Era.

    Read More

  • How Islam Came to South and Southeast Asia

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...or spreading Islam. Advancements in Science and Math helped Islam to move faster. Islam was uniquely successful to attract people towards it where bloodshed was rarely required.

    Read More

  • Is Scientific Progress Inevitable?

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scientific, as a culture, can provide value in understanding the cultural, ideological, intellectual and aesthetic aspects. "We often think of science as something inescapably linked to progress, and of progress as continually marching forward. We assume that there is something inevitable about the increase of knowledge and the benefits this knowledge brings" (Irvine & Russell). Provide humanity with wisdom and speculative enjoyment. This enjoyment of the public is through reading, learning and thinking obtained. But scientists are met from the real research work. The development of scientific and technology, which are also, depend on culture and education progress. Educations have a cultural and technological knowledge and imparted training of personnel functions. Education is to promote the development of science and technology that is an important social factor. At the same time, advances in science and technology is an important factor in promoting cultural development, the use of modern information technology, the collection, transfer, storage means and methods of cultural resources has been a fundamental change, which greatly promoted the cultural transmission, inheritance and development. In a sense, science is a great adventure, is a stimulating and exciting career filled. It is made the human thirst for knowledge and curiosity satisfied, and so that people further

    Read More

  • Ibn al Haytham

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ibn al Haytham was a Muslim innovator born in 965 in Basra. He is also known as Alhazen and The First Scientist. In his time, Alhazen was able to invent the first pinhole camera and a camera obscura. Before Alhazen, scientists believed that they did not have to scientifically prove their findings, however, he knew better. Every experiment or hypothesis Alhazen came up with, he submitted it to a physical test and/or proof using mathematic equations. (“Arab Inventors”)

    Read More

  • Essay On Nigerian Culture

    2197 Words  | 5 Pages

    Study/education improves the development of a society hence the need for educated individuals to occupy significant position in order to improve such society.

    Read More

  • Division Between Ancient and Modern Science

    2594 Words  | 6 Pages

    This essay will discuss differences in motives which have driven ancient and modern science, arguing that 17th century alterations of power structures led to the ultimate division between modern and ancient science and the eruption of modern science as it is today. Comparisons will be drawn regarding knowledge accessibility, prevailing philosophies and ideologies, and the relationship between science and the church.

    Read More

  • Essay On Higher Education

    1464 Words  | 3 Pages

    The higher education system was established for religious purpose at first. In colonial times, the primary function of higher education was to produce Puritan ministers and clergy. The increasing focus on secular education, as proposed by Thomas Jefferson who believed in educating the public and citizens, is crucial for the sake of democracy and building a skilled workplace. Later, Morrill Land-Gran was enacted and most of the universities we saw today had their origins in the Morrill Act. ①

    Read More

  • What Is Science Essay

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Education has always been a very important part of the human life. Since the beginning of humanity, we have thrived on learning things especially figuring out new things such as the universe and the human experience itself. Various different explanations have dominated the human history in trying to educate about the universe and human experience and one of them is Science. It has always tried to question everything and to find an explanation of the unknown. In fact it is the unknown that has intrigued the humanity the most and science has been the leader in trying to provide explanations to these unknowns.

    Read More

More about Science In The Islamic Empire

Open Document