从求真的科学到求力的科学

From Science for Truth to Science for Power

如果说希腊科学是求真的科学,那么现代科学就是求力的科学。它们的区别首先体现在人与自然地位的改变上。对希腊人而言,自然是内在性的领域,是理性和真理的处所。人只能认识自然、追随自然、模仿自然,而不可能改造自然、制造自然。基督教把理性自由改造成意志自由,创世观念降低了自然的存在论地位;唯名论运动催生了人类中心主义,强化了征服自然的观念,弱化了形式因,突出了作用因;炼金术、魔法为改造自然作出了示范,于是,人类征服自然成为现代科学的主导动机。

We can say Modern science is science for power if Greek science is science for truth.The change of the role between Human being and Nature makes the difference of those two sciences.Nature for the Greeks is the place of Rationality and Truth. Human being can just know the Nature,follow the Nature, imitate the Nature, but cannot change the Nature, make the Nature. Christian reli-gion change the Rational Freedom into Free Will. The idea of Creation reduces the ontological statusof Nature. The Nominalist Movement introduces the modern anthropocentricism and the idea of con-quer Nature. Alchemy and Magic show the possibility of changing Nature. Thus, Human conquer the Nature become the main motivation of modern science.