The Influence of History and Culture on Science and Philosophy

Presently there is growing interest in “translating” knowledge so that it is easier for practitioners to use.  The intent is to minimize jargon and maximize the utility of knowledge. Applied knowledge is very important, particularly for transdisciplinary fields.  However, if we devote too much attention to translation or technology transfer or applications, we might miss some opportunities.  In addition to asking how a theory can be used, it is also useful to know where a theory came from or what was the context of the origin of the theory.  In addition to reasoning down to applications, it can also be helpful to reason up to the philosophical and historical origins of ideas. This panel will examine the philosophical questions that various societies have asked in an effort to learn the nature of the intellectual journey that the society has been engaged in and how the fundamental philosophical questions that were of concern emerged from the problems the society faced.