problems and pitfalls in the history of technology
DESCRIPTION
Uncertain Interpretation of Artifacts Many Artifacts are of Unknown Purpose Purpose--may or may not have been practical How made? One way to answer is to reproduce it using ancient methodsTRANSCRIPT
Problems and Pitfalls in the History of Technology
Incomplete Record Tendency to ignore the mundane Elitism, disdain for manual work Secrecy and isolation Destruction of documents Destruction of artifacts Uncertain dates, identification of persons,
unclear descriptions
Uncertain Interpretation of Artifacts
Many Artifacts are of Unknown Purpose Purpose--may or may not have been
practical How made? One way to answer is to
reproduce it using ancient methods
Fallacies of Reasoning Oversimplification Determinism, linear view of history.
“You can’t stop progress” The “Voltairean Fallacy” “You can’t turn back the clock”
Post Hoc ergo Propter Hoc (after this, therefore because of this)
Oversimplification• Real issue is that
theory leads to wrong conclusions
• Validity, not simplicity, is the issue
• Simplicity does not make an idea wrong
Cultural Biases
Fallacies of ReasoningEthnocentrism We are superior to othersReverse ethnocentrism We are the source of all evil in the world"Chronocentrism” Present-day values are superior to those of
the past Nobody in the past ever made accurate
observations
A Lesson in Chronocentrism
There is a lack of consensus on Cause and Effect for many
events in history