PLAN
Introduction
Fundamental Sciences in the Higher Education System
Conclusion
Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
The integration of the Bologna Process into the education system of Ukraine has brought many changes. First and foremost, the introduction of independent testing for schoolchildren, as well as the simplification of the level system for university graduates. But these are only those changes that are visible to everyone. In fact, the Bologna Process changes a lot in Ukrainian education.
The current era of human development - the era of modern technogenic civilization - has a number of specific features and characteristics. First of all, this applies to science, since it determines the successes and achievements in the knowledge of the world and in all other spheres of human activity.
Science today is considered as an element of culture, interconnected and interacting with all other elements of culture.
Basic sciences are an important part of the higher education system. Let us consider what is fundamental science, its significance in university education, what are the principles of fundamental knowledge.
FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
What is fundamental science.
Fundamental science - the basis of the system scientific knowledge and the basis of higher education, therefore, it is the basis of the quality of public intelligence.
University education is primarily based on fundamental science and develops it in the first place.
A. Humboldt in the first half of the 19th century proclaimed the principle of the unity of university education and scientific research, the unity of the university and fundamental science. Over the past more than 150 years, this principle has not lost its significance, moreover, in the light of the imperative of the ecological survival of mankind in the 21st century, the transition to controlled socio-natural evolution based on public intelligence and educational society, it has intensified. The law of advanced development of human quality and the quality of social intelligence requires that "living knowledge" transmitted in the learning process at the university (and in general in any universities) outstrips "materialized knowledge" in technology, in management, in socio-technical and economic systems, which is possible only by combining the educational process with fundamental research.
Fundamental science is that part of the system of scientific knowledge, which is addressed to the knowledge of the laws according to which the world functions and develops both "outside" a person ("overworld", "macrocosm"), and the world "inside" a person ("subworld", "microcosm "), To the disclosure of a single and private scientific paintings peace, to the solution of major problems that arise before a person.
Fundamental principles of knowledge.
The principles of fundamental knowledge include:
The presence of a reflexive core - knowledge about knowledge or meta-knowledge. The meta-knowledge block of sciences is mathematics, cybernetics, systemology, tectology (the science of organization), linguistics, classiology or metaclassification, cyclology (the science of cyclical development), qualitology and qualimetry (the science of the quality of anthropogenic systems and the science of assessing and measuring this quality), homeostatics, synergetics, system genetics, etc., in so far as they perform meta-knowledge, scientific-coordinating functions, belong to the fundamental sciences;
The presence of processes of fundamentalization of knowledge - systemologization, taxonomization, qualitatization, methodologization, mathematization, cybernetization and problematization. According to this criterion, each of the macroblocks of sciences - natural science, human history, social science, technological knowledge - has its own layer of fundamental scientific knowledge;
Problem. The problematic organization of fundamental science as a new principle of its organization, opposing the principle of subject-centrism, was pointed out by V.I.Vernadsky back in the 30s of the twentieth century. Universality, as a sign of fundamentality, is combined with problematicity. In the context of university education, this criterion defines new paradigm problem-oriented professionalism forms new look fundamental nature of science and education;
Philosophizing scientific knowledge.
Philosophy of fundamental science
"Philosophy of fundamental science" of the XXI century, as the basis of reflection on the leading directions of its development, begins with the identification of critical "nodes" in changes in the foundations of natural science, which, according to the principle of resonant influence, influence the internal methodological reflection of the remaining "macroblocks" of a unified science.
“Vernadskyan revolution” in the system of scientific worldview, which determined the vector of integration of fundamental science on the basis of its peculiar noospheric “pivotization” (if we use the methodological concepts of “pivotization” of BM Kedrov). In March 2003, the anniversary conference "The Vernadskyan Revolution in the System of Scientific Worldview - Search for a Noospheric Model of the Future of Humanity in the 21st Century" was held in St. Petersburg, and a monograph of the same name was published. It shows that the doctrine of the noosphere of V.I. Vernadsky and the currently developed scientific and worldview, theoretical system noospherism reflect a revolution in the evolution of science in the twentieth century, which, following Nicholas Polunin and Jacques Grunewald, can be called the “Vernadskyan revolution”. We are talking about the noospherization of the foundations of fundamental science and university education, which, in our opinion, will become one of the main priorities for the synthesis of fundamental science and the fundamentalization of higher education.
Finally, it is worth emphasizing that the fundamentalization of science through noospherism, which, in our assessment, will be leading in the 21st century (this process should include the concept of the Earth - Gaia as Lovelock's superorganism, successfully developed in the world by his scientific school since the early 70s), is at the same time development of fundamental science in general.
When raising the question of the priorities of the development of fundamental science, it is necessary to emphasize the shift in the development of social science and human studies, which have already been outlined and will gain momentum.
Basic Science Tasks
Abroad, universities are called the forge of fundamental science. Although applied research is being conducted, it does not represent the face of academic science. Most often, they are dealt with by research centers in large companies, and in our country - by research institutes (research institutes).
Despite the fact that the difference between the two types of research is obvious, many teachers, and after them students, get confused, confusing concepts or not being able to clearly distinguish between them. Hence the practical flaw: fundamental research in university laboratories is often carried out according to the applied scheme and is presented as fundamental. The harm caused by such a substitution to both science and education is enormous. And this should not be kept silent. That is why the need arose within the framework of the Strategic Development of this faculty to talk in more detail about fundamental and applied research as such.
Basic and applied research
Fundamental science is a science that has as its goal the creation of theoretical concepts and models, the practical applicability of which is not obvious. 1. The task of the fundamental sciences is to understand the laws governing the behavior and interaction of the basic structures of nature, society and thinking. These laws and structures are studied in "pure form", as such, regardless of their possible use. Fundamental and applied science has different methods and subject of research, different approaches and points of view on social reality. Each of them has its own quality criteria, its own techniques and methodology, its own understanding of the functions of a scientist, its own history and even its own ideology. In other words, your own world and your own subculture.
Natural science is an example of fundamental science. It is aimed at understanding nature as it is in itself, regardless of what application his discoveries will receive: space exploration or environmental pollution. And natural science does not pursue any other goal. This is science for science, i.e. knowledge of the surrounding world, the discovery of the fundamental laws of being and the increment of fundamental knowledge.
The immediate goal of applied sciences is to apply the results of fundamental sciences to solve not only cognitive, but also practical problems. Therefore, here the criterion of success is not only the achievement of truth, but also the measure of satisfaction of the social order. As a rule, fundamental sciences are ahead of applied sciences in their development, creating a theoretical groundwork for them. In modern science, applied sciences account for up to 80-90% of all research and allocations. Indeed, basic science constitutes only a small part of the total volume of scientific research.
Applied science is a science aimed at obtaining a specific scientific result that is relevant or potentially can be used to meet private or public needs. 2. An important role is played by developments that translate the results of applied sciences into the form of technological processes, structures, socio-engineering projects. For example, the Permian workforce stabilization system (STC) was initially developed within the framework of fundamental sociology, relying on its principles, theories, and models. After that, it was concretized, given it not only a finished form and practical form, but also determined the time frame for implementation, the financial and human resources required for this. At the applied stage, the STK system was repeatedly tested in a number of enterprises in the USSR. Only after that it received the form of a practical program and was ready for wide distribution (development and implementation stage).
Fundamental research includes experimental and theoretical research aimed at obtaining new knowledge without any specific purpose associated with the use of this knowledge. Their result is hypotheses, theories, methods, etc. Basic research can culminate in recommendations for setting up applied research to identify opportunities practical use the results obtained, scientific publications, etc.
The National Science Foundation of the United States has given the following definition of the concept of fundamental research:
Fundamental research is a part of research activities aimed at replenishing the general volume of theoretical knowledge ... They do not have predetermined commercial goals, although they can be carried out in areas of interest or may be of interest to business practitioners in the future.
Fundamental and applied sciences are two completely different types of activity. At first, and this happened in ancient times, the distance between them was insignificant and almost everything that was discovered in the field of fundamental science immediately or in short time found application in practice. Archimedes discovered the law of leverage, which was immediately used in military and engineering. And the ancient Egyptians discovered geometric axioms, literally without leaving the earth, since geometric science arose from the needs of agriculture. Gradually, the distance increased and today it has reached its maximum. In practice, embodies less than 1% of discoveries made in pure science. In the 1980s, Americans conducted an evaluative study (the purpose of such studies is to evaluate practical relevance scientific developments, their effectiveness). For more than 8 years, a dozen research groups have analyzed 700 technological innovations in the weapons system. The results stunned the public: 91% of inventions have prior applied technology as their source, and only 9% have scientific achievements. And of these, only 0.3% of the source lies in the field of pure (fundamental) research.
Fundamental science deals exclusively with the increment of new knowledge, applied science only with the application of approved knowledge. The acquisition of new knowledge is the vanguard of science, the approbation of new knowledge is its rearguard, i.e. substantiation and verification of once acquired knowledge, transformation of current research into a "hard core" of science. A practical application is the activity of applying the knowledge of the "hard core" to real life problems. As a rule, the "hard core" of science is displayed in textbooks, teaching aids, methodological developments and all kinds of guides.
One of the main features of fundamental knowledge is its intellectuality. As a rule, it has the status scientific discovery and is a priority in its field. In other words, it is considered exemplary, reference.
Fundamental knowledge in science is a relatively small part of the proven scientific theories and methodological principles or analytical techniques that scientists use as a guiding program. The rest of the knowledge is the result of current empirical and applied research, a collection of explanatory models adopted so far as hypothetical schemas, intuitive concepts and so-called "trial" theories.
The foundation of classical physics used to be Newtonian mechanics, and the whole mass of practical experiments at that time was based on it. Newton's laws served as a kind of "hard core" of physics, and current research only confirmed and clarified existing knowledge. Later the theory was created quantum mechanics, which became the foundation of modern physics. She explained physical processes in a new way, gave a different picture of the world, operated with other analytical principles and methodological tools.
Fundamental science, because it develops mainly in universities and academies of sciences, is also called academic. A university professor can earn extra money in commercial projects, even work part-time in a private consulting or research firm. But he always remains a university professor, looking down a bit at those who are constantly doing marketing or advertising research, without rising to the discovery of new knowledge, who have never published in serious academic journals.
Thus, sociology, which deals with the increment of new knowledge and in-depth analysis of phenomena, has two names: the term "fundamental sociology" indicates the nature of the acquired knowledge, and the term "academic sociology" - to its place in the social structure of society.
Fundamental ideas lead to revolutionary change. After their publication, the scientific community can no longer think and study in the old way. World outlook, theoretical orientation, strategy of scientific research, and sometimes the very methods of empirical work are transformed in the most drastic way. A new perspective seems to open up before the eyes of scientists. Huge sums of money are spent on fundamental research, because only they, if successful, albeit rare enough, lead to a serious shift in science.
Fundamental science has as its goal the cognition of objective reality as it is in itself. Applied sciences have a completely different goal - to change natural objects in the direction necessary for a person. It is applied research that is directly related to engineering and technology. Basic research is relatively independent of applied research.
Applied science differs from fundamental science (and it is necessary to include theoretical and empirical knowledge) in its practical orientation. Fundamental science deals exclusively with the increment of new knowledge, applied science exclusively with the application of proven knowledge. The acquisition of new knowledge is the vanguard or periphery of science, the approbation of new knowledge is its substantiation and verification, the transformation of current research into the “hard core” of science, application is the activity of applying the knowledge of the “hard core” to practical problems. As a rule, the "hard core" of science is reflected in textbooks, teaching aids, methodological developments and all kinds of manuals.
Translation of fundamental results into applied developments can be carried out by the same scientists, different specialists, or special institutes, design bureaus, implementation firms and companies are being created for this. Applied research includes such developments, at the "exit" of which there is a specific customer who pays a lot of money for the finished result. Therefore, the final product of applied developments is presented in the form of products, patents, programs, etc. It is believed that scientists, whose applied developments are not bought, should reconsider their approaches and make their products competitive. Such demands are never made to representatives of fundamental science.
The Purpose of Basic Social Science
The goal of fundamental social science is to return a person and society to a true social ontology, and this requires criticism of the social-Darwinian, liberal, market-capitalist Anti-Reason, which has already led a person to the first phase of the Global Environmental Disaster and fighting against the memory of cultures, ethnic memory, the historical experience of local civilizations, geographical determinism, in general against the organic integrity of mankind and nature, "anthropo-social integrity", to use this category of V. N. Sagatovsky. Modern and post-modern, gravitating towards form, and expelling content - in science and culture - personify the war of Capital-Fetish and Capitalocracy against the "memory" of culture, against traditions, against ethnic diversity. It is this "vector" of modernization - Westernization that is trying to "nullify the memory" of a person and society, so that it quickly turns into a monetary neo-nomad.
Social science in the XXI century must stand up for the protection of man and his future in the XXI century. The principle of Non-classical science - the principle of the Synthesis of Truth, Goodness and Beauty - sets a new criterion of truth and rational: what is true and rational is what contributes to the ecological survival of mankind in the 21st century, and therefore contributes to the formation of socio-natural, noospheric harmony. If the obligation enters into the essence of the "reflexive world", then it then performs its function of managing the future, when it contributes to the progressive evolution of this "reflexive world", in our case, humanity.
CONCLUSION
During the preparation of the essay, the topic was studied: "Fundamental sciences in the higher education system." Considering the issues of the importance of fundamental disciplines, special attention was paid to the fact that educational reform can free society from conservatism and thereby help it bridge the gap between the old and the new.
One of the most important problems of higher education is the optimal ratio of fundamental sciences and applied disciplines, the turn of education towards a holistic picture of life and, above all, towards the world of culture, the world of man, and the formation of his systemic thinking. Theoretical, fundamental knowledge can ensure the future existence of mankind in the world. The solution to this problem is, firstly, the need to strengthen natural-scientific training. Secondly, awareness of the role and importance of the disciplines of the humanitarian cycle - the recognition of a person for the most important social value, respect for the individual, the creation of features for the disclosure of abilities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Subetto AI Problems of fundamentalization and sources of the content of higher education. - Kostroma. - M .: KSPU im. N.A.Nekrasova, Issled. center, 1996 - 336s.
2. Kaznacheev VP, Spirin EA The cosmoplanetary phenomenon of man. Complex study problems. - Novosibirsk: "Science", SO, 1991 - 304s.
3. Foundations of Applied Sociology. Textbook for universities. M. 1995.
4. Subetto AI Technologies for collecting and processing information in the process of monitoring the quality of education. - SPb. - M .: Research. center, 2000 .-- 49p.
5. Subetto AI Creativity, life, health and harmony. Sketches of creative ontology. - M .: Publishing house "Logos", 1992. - 204p.
It is known that sciences are subdivided into natural and social, fundamental and applied, precise and descriptive, physical and mathematical, chemical, biological, technical, medical, pedagogical, military, agricultural and many, many others.
What are the criteria for classifying sciences? Why is this necessary? What trends are observed in the classification of sciences? Very many people are engaged in the problem of classifying sciences: from philosophers to organizers of production and social life. Why is it so important? Because the consequences of classification are important. The independent status of science is its relative independence - material, financial, organizational, and the latter circumstances always play an important role in the life of everyone, especially from among the leaders. Along with this, the problem of classifying sciences also performs a cognitive function. A correctly performed classification allows you to see solved and unresolved problems, key areas of development.
Immediately, we note that there is no established classification of sciences. Throughout the history of the development of science, there are discussions about this. In the 19th century, F. Engels succeeded in proposing a criterion for the classification of sciences that satisfies many. As such a feature were proposed forms of motion of matter... Engels proposed the following ordered series of forms of motion of matter: mechanical, physical, chemical, biological, social. From here followed the classification of sciences according to the fields of study: the processes of mechanical movement - mechanics, physical processes - physics, chemical - chemistry, biological - biology, social - social Sciences.
However, science developed rapidly and opened all new levels of matter itself, opened the steps of the evolution of matter. In this regard, the above and again open forms the movements of matter began to be classified according to the stages of development of matter: in inorganic nature; in wildlife; in a person; in society.
During the discussions, two groups of sciences appeared, studying all forms of motion of matter. natural Sciences(as if there are "unnatural", as the physicist Landau joked about this obviously unfortunate term), the field of study of which is nature and social Sciences or in some sources they are called humanitarian and historical sciences, the field of study of which is considered to be a person, society and thinking. Figure 5 provides a list of the main sciences of these two groups.
Figure 5 - List of natural and social sciences
The search for the most acceptable classification was accompanied by attempts ranking of sciences... Which of them are the initial prerequisites for the development of others? This is how the division of all sciences into two more groups appeared: fundamental and applied... It is believed that the fundamental sciences discover the fundamental laws and facts, and the applied ones, using the results of the fundamental sciences, obtain knowledge for the purposeful transformation of reality. In turn, the fundamental sciences are divided into two more groups: species sciences(area of research - cognition of one step, one type or one form of motion of matter); range-specific science (the area of research is the knowledge of a certain range of steps, types, forms of motion of matter, but on a limited range of issues). So a new, much more significant than the previously given list of sciences appears (see Figure 6).
Figure 6 - List of fundamental and applied sciences
The considered signs of the classification of sciences, however, do not in any way waste the problems of the methods and schemes for studying phenomena used in them. Although it has long been known from scientific practice that there are various methods and research schemes in certain groups of sciences. On this basis, it is customary to distinguish three groups of sciences: descriptive sciences; exact sciences; humanitarian sciences... A list of these basic sciences is shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7 - List of descriptive, exact and human sciences
The presented classification of sciences plays an important ideological role in determining the object of a specific research, forming the subject of research and choosing adequate research methods. These issues are discussed in the second chapter.
Along with the considered classification, now there is formally a departmental normative document- Classifier of directions and specialties of higher vocational education with a list of master's programs (specializations). It singles out 4 groups of sciences, within which master's theses should be prepared:
1. Natural sciences and mathematics (mechanics, physics, chemistry, biology, soil science, geography, hydrometeorology, geology, ecology, etc.).
2. Humanities and socio-economic sciences (culturology, theology, philology, philosophy, linguistics, journalism, bibliology, history, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, regional studies, management, economics, art, physical culture, commerce, agroeconomics, statistics, art, jurisprudence, etc.).
3. Technical sciences (construction, printing, telecommunications, metallurgy, mining, electronics and microelectronics, geodesy, radio engineering, architecture, etc.).
4. Agricultural sciences (agronomy, zootechnics, veterinary medicine, agricultural engineering, forestry, fishing, etc.).
It is clear that master's theses in the field government controlled should be developed within the framework of the second group of sciences - humanitarian and socio-economic.
Each group of sciences indicated above has its own field of study, has its own research methods and schemes of knowledge, has received its own laws, patterns and conclusions. At the same time, the tendency of rapid differentiation (division) of sciences is clearly traced. In ancient times, under Aristotle, there was one science - philosophy. In the 11th century six sciences were already distinguished, in the 17th century - eleven sciences, in the 19th century - thirty-two sciences, in the middle of the 20th century - more than a hundred sciences. But along with this, in last years the negative consequences of differentiation are increasingly recognized. After all, the surrounding world is one, and differentiation is based on the fact that each science studies its own part of this world. Open laws have a limited scope. And mankind has come to that milestone in its practical activity when knowledge about the world as a whole is urgently needed. There is a search for a unifying science, like the one that mathematics once became. Mathematics unites both natural and social, and fundamental, and applied sciences, but it is their servant and at the same time is not able to adequately, without distortions, reflect a significant number of processes. Perhaps this role is currently being claimed by systemology (systems approach, systems analysis), which is trying to take the place of the methodology of all sciences.
There is another tendency, as a consequence of the division of sciences and their relative self-development... The natural sciences are ahead of the social sciences in terms of their level of development and age. This is how history developed. And very often you can see how young social sciences borrow research methods and schemes. natural sciences... In this case, the fundamentally different nature of the investigated phenomena is not taken into account. This was the case, for example, in cases of the extension of the laws of biological and physical processes to some social processes... So, in our opinion, there was a wide spread of dependencies of the theory of probability in the field of study of the relationship between people. This is the case in many other cases.
Thus, summing up the consideration of the classification of sciences, the following conclusions can be drawn.
The classification of sciences is complex and practically important problem, which has not yet been finally resolved. Sciences are classified by different reasons: by the studied forms of motion of matter; by the stages of development of matter; according to the degree of their fundamentality; according to the applied methods and schemes of cognition.
Fundamental sciences is a system of knowledge about deep properties objective reality... These sciences create theories that explain all the processes taking place in this world. The fundamental sciences include: mathematical, natural (astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, anthropology, etc.), social (economics, sociology, political science, law, etc.) and humanities (philology, psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, etc.). ).
Applied Sciences is a system of knowledge with a pronounced practical orientation. Applied sciences include technical sciences, agronomy, medicine, pedagogy, etc. All sciences are divided into four main groups: natural, technical, social (social) and humanitarian.
Differentiation and integration of sciences
Humanity has gone through three stages of development of science: natural philosophy, analytical science and the differentiation of science, and is currently entering the fourth stage - integration of science... The formation of natural philosophy continued until the 15th century. Analytical sciences emerged from the 15th century onwards. Since the 19th century, as information accumulates, in the private sciences there has been differentiation of sciences... This process continues at the present time. As a result of the differentiation of sciences, astronomy and celestial mechanics first arose, then - the mechanics of terrestrial processes, then - the theory of heat. Nowadays, the science of nature is expanding due to the emergence of interdisciplinary sciences, such as biochemistry, physical chemistry, chemical physics, biophysics, geophysics, etc. All research in nature can be thought of as a vast network connecting numerous branches of the physical, chemical and biological sciences.
Let's continue. On the meaning and functions of education and science.
The scientific community now often discusses the problem of the essence of fundamental science, its interaction with applied research, its necessity, etc. So in the newspaper "Troitsky Variant" (one of the mouthpieces of the movement in defense of science), in No. 19 (63) for 2010, a wonderful article was published by Z. Sigaladze and K. Filipchuk "Why do we need fundamental science?" ... The authors - quite reasonably in this context - use for their "apologetic" purposes, in particular, the "argument to authority", namely refer to the words of R.R. Wilson, the first director of the National Accelerator Laboratory. Fermi (USA). The point is that each of the fundamental projects "has to do ... with the respect with which we treat each other, for human dignity, for our love for culture ... It [touches on everything that makes] a country worthy of protection." A little below K. Shannon's words are quoted: "I was just wondering how these things [in the world] are arranged." The authors of the article, agreeing with these axiological and epistemological intentions, rightly generalize: “The presence of fundamental science has a much stronger effect on the life of society than can be assumed from purely technological considerations ... Fundamental science is an important part of the general culture of society. Its presence indicates a highly developed society, a completely different level of education, motivations and attitudes of the members of this society [sorry, the authors did not remember here about Maslow's famous pyramid of needs; my selection - ZG]. Otherwise, this very fundamental science cannot be inculcated and cultivated ... A deceitful corrupt society cannot support fundamental science ... The whole life of this society depends on the content that fills the collective unconscious of a society. If fundamental science is expelled from this collective unconscious, there will be no other manifestations of culture (emphasis mine - ZG) ... Fundamental science is needed so that one day we wake up and find that we are ruled by “The Lord of all beasts on land and fish in the sea ”[it is about the memorable experience of Uganda and its dictator Idi Amin - KM]. But this is, in essence, the same answer that was given by R.R. Wilson to the American Congress ".
As for the lord of fish and "one beautiful day" - we are already close to this, considering that in one of the branches of the Volzhsky state university A special course "Design features of flying saucers" is already being read.
We look:
But it seems to me that the list of "authorities" to the ideas of which the authors of the "Trinity Variant" refers, I emphasize, is clearly an incomplete list of "authorities", an excellent article in itself. It seems to me that the involvement of philosophical tools is absolutely necessary when analyzing this issue (about the functions and purpose of fundamental science). And I believe that the key to solving many problems in this area, including the problems of education (through which fundamental science alone can fully and adequately "socialize"), should be sought in the methodology of the great Greek humanist philosopher Aristotle.
Traditionally, it is believed that the methodological and conceptual distinction between fundamental and applied research and the first fundamental substantiation of the meaning of fundamental science as such belongs to the founder of experimental science (i.e., science in its modern form) Francis Bacon. This, of course, is about his famous teaching about luminous and fruitful experiences.("The hope for the further movement of sciences forward can only be well substantiated when natural history receives and collects numerous experiments that in themselves are not useful, but contribute to the discovery of causes and axioms.) We usually call these experiences luminiferous Unlike fertile"). However, we believe that such a point of view (regarding Bacon's priority) wrong, and its abuse can lead to sad consequences for the self-reflection of science and, ultimately (as we already see), to the practical inability of the scientific community to adequately resist the tendencies of medieval obscurantism. Scientists there are really not enough methodically verified arguments to resist the sophistry "a la Feyerabend" in the mouths of the apologists " society of fascist thoughtlessness"(This term goes back to Fromm). And exactly Aristotle's model of science(by the way, who was the first to comprehend science as such - as a form and method of spiritual mastery of the world) here, in our opinion, can and should serve as our powerful weapon against dangerous provocations in the "liberalization of science" style.
But before setting out the fragments of the teachings of Aristotle about science we need, it is necessary to make a short historical excursion. WITH light hand Karl Jaspers in historiosophy is usually called the 7th-6th centuries. BC. "Axial time", because it was during this period that paradigmatic shifts in the way of mastering the world take place in various cultures, shifts that determined the nature of further cultural development humanity. These shifts were most vividly expressed in Greek civilization, which gave us theoretical philosophy as a general methodology and a rational picture of the world as a whole (and theoretical science as such). This is how the great philosopher of logicians of the 20th century characterizes the essence of this conceptual "shift in thinking" Edmund Husserl.
In the VII -VI centuries. BC. v Ancient Greece(in the public mind, among "figures mental labor", Scientists," wise men ") appears special spiritual attitude - an attitude towards an uninterested, "pure" search for truth, for truth for its own sake. A person is born with an internal, "existential" need to UNDERSTAND and POST the world in its own, objective logic of existence and change. Moreover, this comprehension is aimed not only at fragments of the world (science), but also at the world as a whole (philosophy). The acquisition of such knowledge will bring nothing to a person in the material sense (even, rather, on the contrary - as the old man Ecclesiastes will say, “many knowledge - many sorrows”). In most cases, the previous "peace of mind" will be irretrievably lost - a person will understand all the limitations of himself, the imperfection of himself in the present, the uncertainty of himself in the future, will look into the abyss of being, will experience "metaphysical horror" (as he will say later M. Heidegger ), finding himself face to face with the Absolute and the Limit of Everything. But man - since he is a MAN (this is how Aristotle himself will explain this phenomenon later, who began his main treatise with the thesis “ All people from nature strive for knowledge») Can no longer stop in this search. Objective truth becomes the main guideline of human knowledge, becomes an intrinsic value. The person commits " strong-willed epoche "(Husserl) - conscious" abstinence "from any utilitarian-practical attitude to knowledge and its consequences. Is born a new type of cultural person.
And now let's return to Aristotle and our position, according to which he was the first to realize the specifics of "pure scientific knowledge", which is sought "for his own sake, for the sake of his human culture."
We are, of course, talking about the famous Aristotelian classification of sciences - about dividing them into theoretical, practical and creative. The most important class of sciences is, of course, theoretical. These are: 1) maths; 2) theoretical natural science- rational exploration of the fundamental elements and structures empirical peace and 3) philosophy- theoretical modeling of the structures of being as such. The criterion property of theoretical sciences is that knowledge exists in them and is achieved " for the sake of knowledge", For the sake of satisfying a specifically human need for cognition and comprehension of the surrounding world, for the sake of realizing" human nature ".
In other words (already transferring the conversation to pedagogical and socio-anthropological plane), Aristotle proves that study of mathematics, natural science, philosophy(developing, respectively, the three main components of rational thinking - both informative and methodological) is necessary for full orientation of a person in the world, for him to find harmony with himself (= with his essence of a cultural being), for meaningful existence in the world "which we find at our own birth" (Heidegger), for adequate formation of a CONNECTED, INTEGRATED picture of the world, for the relevant socialization as a Homo sapiens.
Does anyone now have confusion about why mathematics (by the way, the authors of the discussed article in "Trinity Variant" write about it especially in connection with Fursenkov's notorious "Mathematics kills creativity"), natural science (with its quintessence - astronomy) and philosophy are now under maximum attack from the "builders of the Brave New World"? As to why astronomy is excluded from school curricula, in Moscow a quarter of a century the Planetarium does not work, in TNU them. Vernadsky in Simferopol - near two observatories, not counting the Republic of Tatarstan in the Blue Bay! - close the Department of Astronomy, and to the astronomy department of the Physics Department of Moscow State University in 2010 - let's not forget that 2009 was the year of astronomy! - are… 6 people signing up? Why is the UN already seriously concerned about the procedure for choosing the person responsible for the meeting of extraterrestrials, while a lot of young people are already waiting for them, having read this publication? Why in a state university if there is a state educational institution for the course "Concepts modern natural science"Video seminars on the topic" Good and evil spirits "are held, practical exercises are held on measuring the sex chakra with a piece of wire, and lectures are given about the design features of flying saucers? Why even the best students don't know about Copernicus, have never heard of arc seconds, and sincerely ask: "What can astronomy give (beneficial or dangerous) to specifically clamp down on it?" She gives an understanding of her place in the world, makes you think, forms a picture of the world.
The conclusion, in my opinion, is obvious. We are dealing with targeted strategy and tactics in annihilation of rational thinking as a phenomenon and mentally healthy citizens as its carriers, with destruction of educational space as such, with sabotage on an especially large scale in relation to the future of the country and nation.
Consciousness into which the knowledge of these three basic disciplines (mathematics, natural science, philosophy) is not organically assimilated - consciousness a prioribifurcated, rushing, suffering... Forced to displace the resulting internal conflicts into the lower layers of the psyche - as they say, read Uncle Freud. But let's not forget that no holy place is empty. The positions left by the theoretical (= fundamental) sciences are being rapidly rushed into other forms and methods of understanding the world, whose task is to rebuild the psyche in such a way as to neutralize the destructive consequences of this conflict in consciousness. But these forms, as we now understand, are not adequate, but “transformed-perverted,” if one is not afraid to use Marxist terminology. So we get obscurantism of all stripes... Everything is natural.
One of the bloggers in the comments to this post by Fritz Morgen wrote: " Will we not come to a society where everything incomprehensible is deified, everything that is not sure of and the nature of which a person does not understand? Shall we not slip into the archaic? "
I answer. Let's roll off. We are already rolling away. We just watched the video. In general, on this occasion, Auguste Comte said a lot of sensible things in his the theory of the three stages of intelligence development. And while positivism itself is a dead end methodology, the theory of the three stages itself is great!
A very controversial figure, a major methodologist of 20th century science, the famous Paul Feyerabend predicted (more precisely, proclaimed) this process several decades ago. He suggested generally abandon the idea of priority of science and scientific knowledge in the development of the world. The more there will be such methods - magic, religion, everyday consciousness, science, etc. - the richer the spiritual life of the individual will be, the more complete with more positions and points of view, he will learn the world. V in fact, science generally needs to abandon the "priority" directions... The more various theories there are, the better (the well-known thesis about “ proliferation", I.e. "Multiplication" of scientific theories). The title of Feyerabend's main work is quite indicative - “ Against methodological coercion". Scientists (more precisely, now "researchers") should adopt the principle "Everything is allowed" because with research into any prescribed method is incompatible with creative thinking(and you are still asking where the course on the study of flying plates comes from at the university). It is not surprising that in its militant relativism, which erases all demarcation lines between rationality, irrationality and irrationality, Feyerabend's theory was named “ methodological anarchism ". Despite some sound conclusions (such as, for example, the thesis about the “blinkeredness” of the scientist's view, who does not recognize other types of interpretation of experience than his own, and therefore falls into a vicious circle), this concept gives off bad shocking and at least not very good , in our opinion, is consistent with the actual practice of scientific research. Alas, the 21st century seems to have taken from Feyerabend the most destructive that was in his model ... It's very scary! Alas, even many who are really worried about the offensive Era of Total Ignorance Scientists have very little idea of the scale of the absurdity that reigned in the "country of victorious surrealism". Many people believe that ignoring such phenomena will by itself do away with them. And this is a dangerous illusion. The enemy, intent on eradicating rational culture, is already at our gates! Let's not be like Biedermann from Max Frisch's satirical play "Biedermann and the Arsonists".
Let us illustrate our reasoning about the “split mind” with a few quotes from the excellent article of “an outstanding science journalist and writer setting ... high standards ... for popularizing science” by Timothy Ferris “A few words about popularizing science” [in the previous post, we already cited these quotes]. So, “the majority of citizens remain alienated from science. Every year we read stories in newspapers about the so-called "scientific illiteracy" ... All this is very regrettable, but even more serious concern is the fact that very few understand what science is as a process ... The problem is that both graduates and have not learned to explore such [fundamental, such as "Why are the seasons changing?", according to Ferris - approx. ZG] questions. Finally, what you think less important than how you think ... Popularization of science should ... enable people to live better in a holistic, and not in a split world, which is not in harmony with itself ...(highlighted by me - approx. ZG). Science is a process, a way of approaching the world ... Science has not yet become part of the cultural field[emphasis mine - approx. ZG] ... The tasks set for working scientists are not familiar to the general public [and this is one of the reasons for the "distrust" of science and, ultimately, the fall of its authority, and with it the culture of rational thinking in general, about which (falling) Ferris says a lot in his article - approx. З.Г.] ".
"Think for yourself, decide for yourself - to let it go or not to let it go" ...
Man, being a part of nature and having some similarities with animals, especially with primates, however, has a completely unique property. His brain can perform actions called cognitive in psychology - cognitive. The human ability for abstract thinking, associated with the development of the cerebral cortex, led him to a purposeful comprehension of the laws underlying the evolution of nature and society. As a result, such a phenomenon of cognition as fundamental science arose.
In this article, we will look at the development paths of its various industries, and also find out how theoretical research differs from the practical forms of cognitive processes.
Common knowledge - what is it?
Part cognitive activities exploring basic principles structures and mechanisms of the universe, as well as affecting cause-and-effect relationships arising from the interactions of objects of the material world - this is fundamental science.
It is designed to study the theoretical aspects of both natural-mathematical and humanitarian disciplines. A special structure of the United Nations Organization dealing with the issues of science, education and culture - UNESCO - refers to the fundamental research precisely those that lead to the discovery of new laws of the universe, as well as to the establishment of links between natural phenomena and objects of physical matter.
Why you need to support theoretical research
One of the hallmarks inherent in highly developed states is high level development of common knowledge and generous funding of scientific schools involved in global projects. They generally do not provide immediate material benefits and are often time consuming and costly. However, it is the fundamental science that is the basis on which further practical experiments and the implementation of the results obtained in industrial production, agriculture, medicine and other branches of human activity are based.
Fundamental and applied science - the driving force of progress
So, global knowledge of the essence of being in all forms of its manifestation is a product of the analytical and synthetic functions of the human brain. The empirical assumptions of ancient philosophers about the discreteness of matter led to the emergence of a hypothesis about the existence of the smallest particles - atoms, voiced, for example, in the poem by Lucretius Kara "On the nature of things." The brilliant research of MV Lomonosov and D. Dalton led to the creation of an outstanding atomic-molecular doctrine.
The postulates provided by fundamental science served as the basis for subsequent applied research carried out by practical scientists.
From theory to practice
The path from the office of a theoretical scientist to a research laboratory can take many years, or it can be impetuous and full of new discoveries. For example, Russian scientists D. D. Ivanenko and E. M. Gapon in 1932 in laboratory conditions discovered the composition atomic nuclei, and soon Professor A.P. Zhdanov proved the existence of extremely large forces inside the nucleus that bind protons and neutrons into a single whole. They were called nuclear, and the applied discipline - nuclear physics - found their application in cyclophaseotrons (one of the first was created in 1960 in Dubna), in nuclear power plants (in 1964 in Obninsk), in the military industry. All of the above examples given by us clearly show how the fundamental and applied Science.
The role of theoretical research in understanding the evolution of the material world
It is no coincidence that the beginning of the formation of universal human knowledge is associated with the development, first of all, of the system of natural disciplines. Our society initially tried not only to learn the laws of material reality, but also to gain total power over them. Suffice it to recall the well-known aphorism of IV Michurin: "We cannot wait for favors from nature, it is our task to take them from her." To illustrate, let’s look at how fundamental physical science developed. Examples of human genius can be found in the discoveries leading to the formulation
Where knowledge of the law of gravity is used
It all started with the experiments of Galileo Galilei, who proved that body weight does not affect the speed with which it falls to the ground. Then, in 1666, Isaac Newton formulated the postulate of universal significance - the law of universal gravitation.
The theoretical knowledge that physics has received - fundamental humanity is successfully applying in modern methods geological exploration, in the preparation of forecasts of ocean tides. used in calculations of the movement of artificial earth satellites and intergalactic stations.
Biology is a fundamental science
Perhaps, in no other branch of human knowledge there is such an abundance of facts serving as a vivid example of the unique development of cognitive processes in the biological species Homo sapiens. The postulates of natural science, formulated by Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel, Thomas Morgan, I.P. Pavlov, I.I. Mechnikov and other scientists, radically influenced the development of modern evolutionary theory, medicine, breeding, genetics and agriculture. Below we will give examples confirming the fact that in the field of biology, fundamental and applied science are closely interconnected.
From humble garden experiments to genetic engineering
In the middle of the 19th century, in a small town in the south of Bohemia, G. Mendel carried out experiments on crossing several varieties of peas with each other, which differed in color and also in the shape of the seeds. From the resulting hybrid plants, Mendel collected fruits and counted seeds with various characteristics. Due to his extreme scrupulousness and pedantry, the experimenter conducted several thousand experiments, the results of which were presented in the report.
His fellow scientists, after politely listening, ignored him. And in vain. Almost a hundred years later, several scientists - De Vries, Cermak and Correns - announced the discovery of the laws of heredity and the creation of a new biological discipline - genetics. But the laurels of the championship did not go to them.
The time factor in comprehending theoretical knowledge
As it turned out later, they duplicated the experiments of G. Mendel, taking only other objects for their research. By the middle of the 20th century, new discoveries in the field of genetics poured in as from De Vries creates his mutational theory, T. Morgan - the chromosomal theory of heredity, Watson and Crick decipher the structure of DNA.
However, the three main postulates formulated by G. Mendel still remain the cornerstone on which biology stands. Fundamental science has once again proved that its results never go to waste. They are just waiting for the right time when humanity will be ready to understand and appreciate the new knowledge as it deserves.
The role of the disciplines of the humanitarian cycle in the development of global knowledge about the world order
History is one of the earliest branches of human knowledge, dating back to ancient times. Herodotus is considered its founder, and the first theoretical work is the treatise "History", written by him. Until now, this science continues to study the events of the past, and also reveals possible cause-and-effect relationships between them on the scale of both universal human evolution and in the development of individual states.
Outstanding studies by O. Comte, M. Weber, G. Spencer served as strong evidence in favor of the assertion that history is a fundamental science designed to establish the laws of development human society on different stages its development.
Her applied industries are economic history, archeology, history of state and law - deepen our understanding of the principles of organization and evolution of society in the context of the development of civilizations.
Jurisprudence and its place in the system of theoretical sciences
How the state functions, what patterns can be identified in the process of its development, what are the principles of interaction between the state and law - these questions are answered by the fundamental It contains the most common categories and concepts for all applied branches of jurisprudence. They are then successfully used in their work by forensic science, forensic medicine, legal psychology.
Jurisprudence ensures the observance of legal norms and laws, which is essential condition preservation and prosperity of the state.
The role of informatics in globalization processes
To imagine how much this science is in demand in modern world, we will cite the following figures: more than 60% of all jobs in the world are equipped with computers, and in high-tech industries the figure rises to 95%. The elimination of information barriers between states and their populations, the creation of global world trade and economic monopolies, the formation of international communication networks is impossible without IT-technologies.
Informatics as a fundamental science creates a set of principles and methods that ensure the computerization of control mechanisms for any objects and processes occurring in society. Its most promising application areas are networking, economic informatics, and computer-aided manufacturing.
Economy and its place in the world scientific potential
Economic fundamental science is the basis for modern interstate industrial production. It identifies causal relationships between all subjects economic activity society, and also develops the methodology of a single economic space on the scale of modern human civilization.
Having originated in the works of A. Smith and D. Ricardo, having absorbed the ideas of monetarism, modern economic science makes extensive use of the concepts of neoclassicism and the mainstream. On their basis, applied industries were formed: regional and post-industrial economy. They study both the principles of rational distribution of production and the consequences of the scientific and technological revolution.
In this article, we have found out what role fundamental science plays in the development of society. The examples given above confirm its paramount importance in understanding the laws and principles of the functioning of the material world.