Table Of ContentRoutledge Revivals
The Origins of Science
First published in 1962 The Origins of Science tries to explain scientific
thought from its historical and psychological origins. The depth of psychol-
ogy of today rather than traditional epistemology is needed in order to
understand the problems of knowledge. Reality is the first problem of the
scientist; it is exemplified by the idea of object, or of matter. The develop-
ment of this idea from its Greek beginnings is traced and the unconscious
mechanisms that underlie our thought processes -of abstraction, general-
isation, etc.- are made manifest. The second problem is that of truth; it is
illustrated by examples from the history of mathematics and of logic. Again,
the ‘psychology’ of what we accept as truth is made explicit. Scientific
method is the intellectual safeguard for the criteria of truth and reality.
Instead of traditional induction, the creative view of scientific activity must
be accepted. This book is a must read for scholars and researchers of philo-
sophy of science and philosophy in general.
The Origins of Science
An Inquiry into the Foundations of Western
Thought
Ernest H. Hutten
Firstpublishedin1962
byGeorgeAllen&UnwinLtd.
Thiseditionfirstpublishedin2022byRoutledge
4ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,Oxon,OX144RN
andbyRoutledge
605ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©GeorgeAllen&UnwinLtd,1962
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedorutilisedin
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublishers.
Publisher’sNote
Thepublisherhasgonetogreatlengthstoensurethequalityofthisreprintbutpoints
outthatsomeimperfectionsintheoriginalcopiesmaybeapparent.
Disclaimer
The publisher has made every effort to trace copyright holders and welcomes
correspondencefromthosetheyhavebeenunabletocontact.
ALibraryofCongressrecordexistsunderISBN:0049460072
ISBN:978-1-032-36747-7(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-003-33357-9(ebk)
ISBN:978-1-032-36748-4(pbk)
BookDOI10.4324/9781003333579
THE ORIGINS OF SCIENCE
AN INQUIRY INTO THE
FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN THOUGHT
by
ERNEST H. HUTTEN
London
GEORGE ALLEN AND UNWIN LTD
RUSKIN HOUSE MUSEUM STREET
FIRST PUBLISHED IN I962
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of
private study > research^ criticism, or review, as per-
mitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no portion
may be reproduced by any process without written
permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the
publisher
(g) George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1962
PREFACE
My aim in this book is to explain science from its historical
and psychological origins.
To explain the concepts of science has always been the task of
philosophy. In the first part of the book, I argue that traditional
philosophy cannot fulfil this task, because it has not kept up
with science. Philosophy and science, however, originated
together with the Greeks, whose attitude of rationality, indeed,
made science possible. Instead of classical epistemology, there-
fore, the depth psychology of today has to be used in order to
understand the problems of knowledge. We do not acquire
knowledge by a conscious, intellectual process of perception
alone; unconscious processes are in fact more important. The
search for knowledge is the natural expression of a human drive;
and the development of science is then part of Man's evolution.
Thus the growth of scientific ideas is explained scientifically, by
means of the theory of psycho-analysis.
The second part consists of two main chapters, on the Atom
and on Causality. Reality is the concern of the scientist and it is
exemplified by the idea of object, or of matter. The development
of this idea from its beginnings in Ionia to the Atomists is
described. This historical development is shown to be parallel
to the emotional or mental evolution which human beings
undergo in infancy and adolescence. The unconscious mecha-
nisms that underlie our thought processes—of abstraction,
generalization, etc.—are thus made manifest. Then the idea of
cause is traced from its origin in the Greek aitia, or guilt, to
modern determinism and statistics.
The third part of the book is concerned with the idea of
truth. The argument is drawn from the history of mathematics
and from logic. Four main ideas, apart from number, are dis-
cussed, i.e. symbol, system, rule, and truth. The Pythagorean
concept of number is the beginning of mathematical symbolism
and offers us an insight into the thought processes underlying it
through the well-known phantasies that were expressed by the
Greeks. Formal reasoning in the western sense developed from
6 THE ORIGINS OF SCIENCE
this beginning to the mathematical logic of today. This allows
us to suggest an interpretation of the modern concept of truth.
In the last part, scientific method as the intellectual safeguard
for the criteria of truth and reality is described. Instead of
traditional induction, however, we now accept the creative view
of scientific activity. This is explained, once more, by referring
to the history and psychology of the problems of knowledge.
Some of the material contained in this book was presented in
three lectures to the Imago Group (London): the chapter on the
Greek Atom on May 6, 1957, and the chapters on Number and
on the Mind-Body Problem at later occasions. I am glad to note
that two of my fellow-members of the Group, Mr A. Stokes
and Dr M. Balint, were able to make use of my ideas in their
recently published books.
I am indebted to Dr John Klauber who read the manuscript
and gave me the benefit of his criticism. My main indebtedness is
to Dr A. Ehrenzweig whose stimulating conversation and friendly
interest over the years have helped me greatly in formulating the
ideas presented here.
ERNEST H. HUTTEN
Royal Holloway College,
University of London.
