Research On The Contextualistic Historiography Of Science

When looking back on the progress of the History of Science in the 1900's, it is not hard to see that the research of the History of Science tends to develop in the form of "segment" after G. Sarton's comprehensive book---"Introduction of the History of Science" was completed. The fundamental theory of the research of history of science has been enriched constantly since the different segments varied according to the different historiography methods, and thus led to the continual division of the research of history of science:from the Internal History to the External History and then to the Comprehensive History. Even now the research of the Comprehensive History is still carried out in an evocation way and none of the related scholars dares to write a general history of science towards human knowledge. Due to different methods of historiography of science were generated from different ideologies of historiography of science, it is difficult to form an uniform method of historiography of science, which can be used in the research of the General History of Science. Therefore, the Historiography of Science gradually becomes from invisible subject to visible subject and keeps a strong develop trend at the same time. This dissertation presents a systematic study on the different ideologies of historiography of science aiming to bring forward the Contextualism Historiography of Science on the basis of the traditional historiographies of science. Briefly, the relation between the Historiography of Science and the History of Science was distinguished, the research contents of the Historiography of Science were specified, the view that the methodology research is the core in the research of the Historiography of Science was determined and the shortcoming and rationality of the traditional Historiography of Science were reviewed as well. It is pointed out that approaching contextualism is an effective way to the research of the Historiography of Science, which is the necessary choice of the rational construction of the History of Science. Furthermore, the general characteristics of the Contextualism Historiography of Science and its profound research meaning were elaborated.The whole dissertation is divided into seven chapters, including introduction, main part (Chapter 1 to 5) and conclusion, which are illustrated briefly as follows:In the introduction part, the aim and significance of the research project, the current situation and progress in the research both at home and abroad, the structure and the main contents of the dissertation are introduced. It is rational and feasible to introduce the contextualism research method into the research of the History of Science owning to the irrationality of the traditional Historiography of Science, which is the sublimation on the basis of the empirical study of the History of Science and has an outstanding instructional significance on the current research of the History of Science. It is also the need of improving the discipline construction and the theoretic research of the History of Science. Moreover, it provides a methodology support to the dispelling of the Whig interpretation of the History of Science and shows significance in pushing the application study of the Contextualism Historiography of Science.In chapter one, the relation between the Historiography of Science and the History of Science was clarified. Surveying the development history of the History of Science in 1900's at the height of the 21st century, we defined the current confused relationship between the Historiography of Science and the History of Science from three angles, i.e. ontology, epistemology and methodology and from the object of study, the academic structure and the study layers of the History of Science, etc. We also explicitly answered the questions such as what the Historiography of Science and the History of Science should do, respectively.In chapter two, the necessary factors to introduce the contextualism into the study of the History of Science were explained mainly according to the developing history of the different schools of thought of the Historiography of Science and their predicaments. Starting from the re-understanding of the History of Science, a novel explanation to the evolution of the History of Science was made and the dilemma of Historiography of Science with internalism, externalism and eclecticism was stated, respectively. It is demonstrated that none of the above mentioned thoughts of the Historiography of Science could objectively, truly reflect the real appearance of the development of science and make the rational reconstruction of the History of Science successful, thus, the research method of the Historiography of Science must move to the contextualism.In chapter three, how the research of the Historiography of Science could move to the Contextualism was discussed intensively. The Contextualism Historiography of Science is the necessity of the basic theoretic study of the History of Science. It is of strong rationality and effectivity to contextualizing the methods of the Historiography of Science. The fundamental ideas of the application of contextualism in the research of the History of Science were expound profoundly, which is also a necessary choice of the contemporary Historiography of Science and could make up the deficiencies of the traditional Historiography of Science, forming a peculiar model of the Historiography of Science.Chapter four is the key part of this dissertation and in which the research programme of the Contextualism Historiography of Science was constructed. First of all, the views of the traditional History of Science were reviewed and many defects of those views in the traditional Historiography of Science were pointed out. A novel view of the contextualism history of science was constructed and further formed the contextualism methodology of the historiography of science, thus the contextualism historiography of science come into being. In addition, the main advantages and the basic structure of the contextualism historiography of science, together with the characteristics and significance of the contextualism method, were concluded and analyzed intensively. Furthermore, by taking the ontology of the contextual realism, the epistemology of the contextualism paradigm and the methodology of the contextual analysis as the point of departure, the features of the brand new historiography of science were highly summarized. The research significance of the contextualism historiography of science was summed up by broadening the angle of view, the method and the contents of the research of the history of science.In chapter five, the metatheory problems of the history of science were analyzed and solved using the methods of the contextualism historiography of science. Moreover, taking the case of Copernicus revolution as an example, the advantages of the contextualism historiography of science were further illustrated by contextual analysis of the case.In the conclusion part, the research significance of the contextualism historiography of science and the future research plan were further clarified from the height of the construction of the programme of the contextualism history of science.