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Science in Translation

Movements of Knowledge through Cultures and Time

Scott L Montgomery author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:The University of Chicago Press

Published:15th Jul '02

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Science in Translation cover

Throughout recorded history, the exchange of scientific knowledge across cultures has been crucial in shaping human civilization. For instance, without the Greek and Roman works that were translated into Arabic and later reintroduced into Europe, the Renaissance as we know it would not have occured. Yet, until now, the enormous importance of translation to the history of science has remained largely unexamined. In this innovative work, Scott L. Montgomery explores the diverse roles that translation has played in the development of Western science from antiquity to the present. Beginning with an in-depth consideration of astronomy, he presents case histories of science in translation from a variety of disciplines and cultural contexts, both Western and non-Western (such as the origin and evolution of modern science in Japan). Montgomery highlights key historical and philosophical issues, including the instability of the scientific text, what is lost and gained in the process of translating science, and the impossibility of a truly universal technical language.

"[A] book of great richness, as much for its examples as for its ideas, which keenly illustrate the development of knowledge across languages and epochs. It is a book to read and reread. Its subject is important; it is ours, it is our history." - Andre Clas, Meta: Journal des Traducteurs; "[T]his book... seems to stand alone on the shelf. A good thing, therefore, that it is so full of good things, both in the content and the prose." - William R. Everdell, MAA Online; "An impressive work.... By reminding us of the role of diverse cultures in the elevation of science within a particular nation or civilization, the book makes a substantial contribution to the postmodern worldview that emphasizes multiculturalism." - Choice

ISBN: 9780226534817

Dimensions: 23mm x 15mm x 2mm

Weight: 510g

333 pages