科学还是神话?——再探菲洛劳斯天体系统的定性问题
Science or Myth?:A Re-examination on the Nature of Philolaus'Astronomical System
王怡萌 1刘兵2
作者信息
- 1. 上海交通大学科学史与科学文化研究院,上海 200240
- 2. 山东中医药大学 中医文献与文化研究院,济南 250355;中国科协-清华大学科技传播与普及研究中心,北京 100084
- 折叠
摘要
菲洛劳斯天体系统到底是一个科学系统还是神话系统,是此前的古典学、科学史及哲学史研究者围绕该系统所争论的核心问题之一.学者们之所以对该问题持有不同见解,主要基于对其中两个分问题的不同认识,即中心火和对地的引入到底是基于现象还是理论.经考释,菲洛劳斯设置中心火的根本出发点是"有限—无限"哲学理论,但借此天体也可解释两种重要天文现象.而与既往众多研究者认知相反的是,虽然无法排除其迎合神秘数十的动机,但对地确可有效解释日月食频率差异的现象.若以古希腊天文学史的视角来看,菲洛劳斯系统虽包含哲学与神秘元素,但本质上属于早期希腊天文学系统,而非所谓的神话系统.
Abstract
Whether Philolaus'astronomical system is a scientific or mythical system was one of its central issues debated by previous scholars from disci-plines of classics,history of philosophy and history of science.Scholars'different answers towards this question were basically due to the divergent cogni-tions about the two fabricated bodies inside this system,namely whether the introducing of central fire and counter-earth were based on phenomena or theories.According to the verifications of original texts we can see that,the fundamental reason for Philolaus'setting the central fire should be his'limit-ing-unlimited'philosophical theory;however,it could also help explaining two specific astronomical phenomena.What is contrary to many previous scholars'opinion is that although Philolaus'intention to accord with the mystical number 10 cannot be excluded,the counter-earth could effectively ex-plain the different frequency of solar and lunar eclipses.If we take the perspective of history of ancient Greek astronomy for evaluation,Philolaus'astro-nomical system essentially belongs to the earlier Greek astronomy,rather than a so-called mythical system.
关键词
菲洛劳斯天体系统/古希腊天文学/毕达哥拉斯学派/古典学Key words
Philolaus'astronomical system/ancient Greek astronomy/Pythagoreans/classics引用本文复制引用
出版年
2024
NETL
NSTL
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