The Beginnings of Western Science

A comprehensive history of Western science from its origins to the late Middle Ages. Lindberg, a prominent historian of science, traces the development of scientific thought across diverse cultures and periods, emphasizing its philosophical, religious, and institutional contexts.

The book spans from prehistoric times to 1450, covering Babylonian and Egyptian contributions, Greek science (notably Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, and Ptolemy), and the Roman period with figures like Galen. It explores the decline of science in the early Middle Ages, its revival through Islamic scholars like Avicenna and Alhazen, and the transmission of knowledge to medieval Europe via translations in Spain and Sicily. Lindberg highlights the role of medieval universities (e.g., Paris, Oxford) in institutionalizing science, focusing on disciplines like optics, astronomy, and medicine, and figures such as Roger Bacon and Albertus Magnus.

A key theme is the interplay between science and religion. Lindberg challenges the narrative of conflict, showing how Christian theology often supported scientific inquiry, as with the study of optics for cathedral design or Aristotelian cosmology adapted to Christian doctrine. The book also examines the philosophical foundations of science, particularly Aristotle’s influence, and how Islamic and Jewish thinkers preserved and expanded Greek knowledge, influencing European scholars like Thomas Aquinas.

At 480 pages with illustrations, the second edition includes updated scholarship, a new chapter on Islamic science, and expanded sections on medieval universities and translations. It’s praised for its clarity and depth, making it a standard text for students and scholars, though some find its focus on institutional context less engaging than the scientific discoveries themselves. Lindberg’s work reframes the Middle Ages as a period of continuity and synthesis, not stagnation, setting the stage for the Scientific Revolution.