Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This book presents a new way of thinking about the history of science and technology, one that offers a grand narrative of human history in which knowledge serves as a critical factor of cultural evolution. Jurgen Renn examines the role of knowledge in global transformations going back to the dawn of civilization while providing vital perspectives on the complex challenges confronting us today in the Anthropocene-this new geological epoch shaped by humankind. Renn reframes the history of science and technology within a much broader history of knowledge, analyzing key episodes such as the evolution of writing, the emergence of science in the ancient world, the Scientific Revolution of early modernity, the globalization of knowledge, industrialization, and the profound transformations wrought by modern science. He investigates the evolution of knowledge using an array of disciplines and methods, from cognitive science and experimental psychology to earth science and evolutionary biology. The result is an entirely new framework for understanding structural changes in systems of knowledge-and a bold new approach to the history and philosophy of science. Written by one of today's preeminent historians of science, The Evolution of Knowledge features discussions of historiographical themes, a glossary of key terms, and practical insights on global issues ranging from climate change to digital capitalism. This incisive book also serves as an invaluable introduction to the history of knowledge."-- Provided by publisher

The story of this book -- Part 1: What is science? What is knowledge? History of science in the Anthropocene ; Elements of a historical theory of human knowledge -- Part 2: How knowledge structures change. The historical nature of abstraction and representation ; Structural changes in systems of knowledge ; External representations at work ; Mental models at work ; The nature of scientific revolutions -- Part 3: How knowledge structures affect society and vice versa. The economy of knowledge ; An economy of practical knowledge ; Knowledge economies in history -- Part 4: How knowledge spreads. The globalization of knowledge in history ; The multiple origins of the natural sciences ; Epistemic networks -- Part 5: On what knowledge our future depends. Epistemic evolution ; Exodus from the Holocene ; Knowledge for the Anthropocene ; Science and the challenges of huumanity.

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