The effect of social, economic and political factors on scientific acheivements

[ecoli]

Member Danny6777 made a post in general discussion asking why Jews were making acheivements in science. The thread was rapidly closed (I believe this was because there were anti-semetic insinuations). Despite this, he said something interesting that prompted me to think about the relationship between the social, political and economic power of various nations or groups and their scientific acheivements.

 

Even though that thread was closed, I thought I'd start a discussion about that here.

 

 

If jewish people are more intelligent than gentiles why did not some jew discover calculus or the germ theory of disease, jewish people have had ample time to discover these things?

 

This is an excellent example of how social political factors play a role in science. Scientific acheivement often coincides with political or economic strength of a people. In the early 1800's, Jews were largely dispersed and did not have the resources to gain a scientific education. However, places like England where in their heyday in terms of political and economic power, and were also places of flourishing science.

 

These days, Jews have settled down in places like America, Canada and Israel, and so are in a position to make great acheivements in science.

 

 

Today, rising powers, like Japan, are making great advances in science and technology which, perhaps, show how this nation may become a new world political player.

 

Any body else have thoughts about this?

[Moonquake]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashkenazi_Jews#Achievement

This says how population history can affect it.

[Danny6777]

Member Danny6777 made a post in general discussion asking why Jews were making acheivements in science. The thread was rapidly closed (I believe this was because there were anti-semetic insinuations). Despite this, he said something interesting that prompted me to think about the relationship between the social, political and economic power of various nations or groups and their scientific acheivements.

 

Even though that thread was closed, I thought I'd start a discussion about that here.

 

 

 

 

This is an excellent example of how social political factors play a role in science. Scientific acheivement often coincides with political or economic strength of a people. In the early 1800's, Jews were largely dispersed and did not have the resources to gain a scientific education. However, places like England where in their heyday in terms of political and economic power, and were also places of flourishing science.

 

These days, Jews have settled down in places like America, Canada and Israel, and so are in a position to make great acheivements in science.

 

 

Today, rising powers, like Japan, are making great advances in science and technology which, perhaps, show how this nation may become a new world political player.

 

Any body else have thoughts about this?

 

You could say that jews had economic power in europe, even in medieval times. Jewish people lived seperatly from the gentile population so social and political power would not matter. If jewish people wanted to they could have discovered the scientific discoveries made by the white gentile people of europe long before those gentiles had made them. But jews did not care and had no understanding of what science is, they had to wait for the white gentile people to define it even though they had alot of time to think about it over the years.

 

How much do you think it takes to make scientific discoveries? All you need is a chemistry set, alot of jews were alchemist in medieval times but those jews made no fundamental discoveries in chemistry. Alot of jews throughout their history in europe were doctors but there were no medical revolutions eminating from these jewish doctors.

 

The reason why I say this is because if you listen to jews talk about the history of science they usually imply with everything they say that jews are the reason why science exists and that is completely incorrect. If it wasn't for the white gentile people who defined what science is there would have been no scientific revolution in europe even with the jews there.

[ecoli]

they usually imply with everything they say that jews are the reason why science exists and that is completely incorrect.

 

wow... talk about offensive generalizations. Try to avoid using words like "usually" when you are relying on anecdotal evidence.