Bridges of Knowledge

The arts and sciences of a given civilization are but summaries of knowledge by their scientists, physicians, engineers, and artists. They are the intellectual bridges who inherited their knowledge from their predecessors, developed them, and passed them to the next generation. When the social structures of that civilization becomes stagnant and deteriorates, the bridges of accidents, chance, and irony of history would come into play.

The ancient Greeks, for example, were critical observers of nature. Born along that long process were the classical philosophies, science, and mathematics applied on their arts and engineering. When Hellenistic civilization began to decline, its knowledge passed on to the Romans in building their coliseums, roads, bridges, aqueducts, etc. Ironically, although the Romans claimed to be the heirs of Greek culture, they had limited success in translating the bulk of Greek writings. Furthermore, studies of Greek science virtually stopped during the fall of the empire. Its fragmented offspring, the Holy Roman Empire, condemned classical knowledge as “pagan heresies”.

Meanwhile in the Near East, Arab scholars had diligently studied the writings the West had forbidden. The result was the flourishing of Islamic science and culture during the time when Europe plunged into the Dark Ages. One can see the complex mathematics used in building Eastern structures from the Mughal temples in India, bridges in Persia, to the Moorish palaces in Alhambra. Western scientists would then later study the books brought into Europe by Arab scholars in the 12th century. That lead to the intellectual revival called the Renaissance.

(planned to be continued)

November 6, 2011

Photo: Si-o-se Pol Bridge by Shahab Maghami