HISTORY OF SCIENCE 35 



of civilization is absolutely necessary for the historian of science, 

 were it only to locate the scientific facts in the very surroundings 

 that gave rise to them. 



On the other hand, the historian of civilization can no longer 

 remain unacquainted with the history of science. Some of the 

 most recent historical manuals contain paragraphs devoted to it. 

 It is true, the space allowed is rather scanty, but that is a begin- 

 ning. I feel confident that, before long, general histories will be 

 written in which the history of science, far from being banished 

 to some obscure corner, will be the very center of the picture. Is 

 not science the most powerful factor of evolution? 



Some examples will illustrate the significance of the history of 

 civilization. How can one account for the fact that the Latin 

 manuscripts containing translations of Greek authors made from 

 Arabic texts for so long barred the way to the printed translations 

 that had been elaborated directly from the Greek texts? The 

 latter, indeed, were much better. Bjornbo has given some reasons 

 that are very probably the true ones. The printed books that 

 nobody cared to copy became rarer and rarer. On the other hand, 

 the manuscripts were copied over and over again and continually 

 multiplied. Besides, the copyists lacked knowledge and critical 

 sense to a great extent, and they could not help being favorably 

 impressed by the bulk of Arabic literature. 



Mere scientific reasons do not suffice to explain the creation of 

 the metric system by the French revolutionaries. This creation 

 was also in part a reaction against the "foot of the king" of the 

 ancien regime. 



Financial or tariff regulations or the promulgation of labor laws 

 can transform the business life of a country and, indirectly, its 

 scientific production. 



To understand the beginnings and development of geography 

 one has to take into account many facts that are quite foreign to 

 science. For instance: the quest for mythical treasures; con- 

 querors' ambitions; religious proselytism; the adventurous in- 

 stincts of daring young men. 



