39.
Indeed, in the Middle Ages in Europe, calculating by hand
and eye was sometimes seen as producing a rather shabby
sort of knowledge, inferior to that of abstract thought.
Babylonian astronomers created detailed records of celestial
movements in the heavens, using the resulting tables to sieve out
irregularities and, with them, the favour of the gods. (①) This
was the seed of what we now call the scientific method ―a
demonstration that accurate observations of the world could be
used to forecast its future. (②) The importance of
measurement in this sort of cosmic comprehension did not
develop smoothly over the centuries. (③) The suspicion was
due to the influence of ancient Greeks in the era’s
scholasticism, particularly Plato and Aristotle, who stressed
that the material world was one of unceasing change and
instability. (④) They emphasized that reality was best
understood by reference to immaterial qualities, be they
Platonic forms or Aristotelian causes. (⑤) It would take the
revelations of the scientific revolution to fully displace these
instincts, with observations of the night sky once again proving
decisive. [3점]
* celestial: 천체의 ** sieve: 거르다