240 La périodisation de l’histoire de la science et de la technique
L. S zyfm a n
I ag ree w ith th e principal theses of Professor Olszewski, I th in k how ever th a t K u h n ’s notion of paradigm is a n a rb itra ry criterio n and it contradicts, therefore, th e general legitim ate schem e of th e lectu re’s author.
E very g reat epoch-m aking discovery changes th e form of science in a given historical period, as well as philosophy and m ethodology. Thus, for instance, th e solar system of Copernicus, th e discovery of the circula tion of blood by 'Harvey an d lastly N ew ton w ith his physics; of te rre stria l and heavenly bodies, w ith his th e o ry of colours, have thoroughly changed science, philosophy and th e gen eral m ethod of contem plating the reality. It was, then, a veritable scientific and philosophic revolution.
It is possible to cite a w hole series of exam ples in ord er to explain the essence of th e so-called leaps in th e history of science an d to sub stan tiate th e law of continuity a n d 'discontinuity of th e developm ent of scientific thought.
W hen ta lk in g about th e scientific revolution in th e X lX th c en tu ry — we usually m ean the discovery of p la n t a n d aniimal -cells, th e law of conservation of m a tte r and of m etabolism , th e D arw inism an d th e therm odynam ics. The discovery of these law s has secured th e triu m p h of th e historical idea of n a tu re a n d society, and th e definitive failure of fixism .
B ut even th e greatest discovery is not of decisive im portance to th e history of science unless it is applied in 'the industrial, ideological and freq u en tly political practice, too. As an example, I should cite th e role of Lavoisier in P ran ce a n d th a t of Lomonossov in Russia, a n d th e d iv ersity of th e ir influence upon th e social a n d economic stru ctu re.
J. Sm olka
Les ^problèmes de la périodisation rep résen ten t dans le cadre des sciences n atu re lle s u n des plus in téressan ts et des p lu s im portants ensem bles de questions théoriques. Et de p lein -droit o n lu i consacra a u cours de -cette réu n io n u n e atten tion spéciale. Il p a ra ît q u ’on p eu t considérer to u te -une série de questions concernant cet ensem ble comme étant d éjà résolues- II e n est ainsi p a r exem ple en ce qui -concerne la question d e la lim itation des -différentes périodes. D ans ce cas il fau t refu te r les opinions te n d a n t à sim plifier la question d e te lle m anière qu’elles voulaient fix er des term es bien stricts e t exactem ent lim ités représentés p a r une seule année ou m êm e p a r u n e journée b ien
