A fundamentally new approach to the history of science and technology 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. Jürgen
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.
