tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225373.post975334551277065583..comments2024-02-29T03:34:23.190-05:00Comments on Who Were the Sea Peoples?: If historical knowledge were truly inferior to experimental knowledge...gcallahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10065877215969589482noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225373.post-30447085365580980492013-07-07T11:35:23.893-04:002013-07-07T11:35:23.893-04:00Blackadder, I'm guessing you're thinking o...Blackadder, I'm guessing you're thinking of the "historical" as a mere report that so-and-so did an experiment on day X. But that is not "mere" history: it is severely defective history. A full historical account would explain WHY they were doing the experiment, which would include what theory they were trying to prove / disprove, and what the rival theories were, and what their result showed; i.e., an historical account would of necessity contain all of the science involved.<br /><br />Read some history of science and you will see I am not just imagining this!gcallahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10065877215969589482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225373.post-55233772962176037092013-07-05T14:55:28.198-04:002013-07-05T14:55:28.198-04:00More historical knowledge is superior to less, at ...More historical knowledge is superior to less, at least if reasonably collected. Alternatively, experimental knowledge is not historical in the sense of existing in the wild. At its best it can tell us much more and about circumstances that haven't occurred naturally or frequently, though at its worst, it could mislead us by being unrepresentative of nature. Lordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06747994571555237739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225373.post-68177501580503812582013-07-05T14:49:45.380-04:002013-07-05T14:49:45.380-04:00I don't understand what this "mere" ...I don't understand what this "mere" Historical knowledge is supposed to be.gcallahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10065877215969589482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225373.post-70784070430217538522013-07-05T10:55:24.467-04:002013-07-05T10:55:24.467-04:00But, of course, a report on an experiment is a pie...<i>But, of course, a report on an experiment is a piece of historical evidence, and thus knowledge about a series of experiments is historical knowledge.</i><br /><br />But it's not mere historical knowledge. Josiah Neeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04408537831149151396noreply@blogger.com