Hugo, Ashley Niña L.

GE 5-2

ACTIVITY 1:

Key Technological Definition and Importance

Achievements

1. Hospital  Hospital is an institution that offer

medical care and possibility of a cure
for the patients due to the ideals of
Christian charity, rather than just
merely a place to die. It plays a vital
role in the health care system.

2. The Fork  The fork was originally used as a

utensil for picking up and eating food.
Byzantine Empire Fork is quite versatile compared to
spoon because spoon can only hold
liquid but fork can do so much more
than that.

3. Ship Mill  Ship Mill is a type of watermill. The

milling and grinding technology and
the drive (waterwheel) are built on a
floating platform on this type of mill.It
allows the mill to function along the
same energy even after shifting water
levels.

1. Paper Mill  Paper mill is a factory devoted to

making paper from vegetable fibres
such as wood pulp, old rags, and other
ingredients.It's important to
everybody, since it will help us making
the papers quick and easy. We all
know that paper is the essential
material used to communicate and
disseminate information in written
Medieval Islamic form.
Empires
(Abbasid Caliphate, etc.) 2. Automatic Controls  Automatic controls describes a wide
range of technologies that reduce
human intervention in processes. It is
huge industry and crucial to the
survival of human society, plants and
animals. We must take care of it,
because our very lives and existence
on planet Earth rely on it.

3. Kerosene Lamp  Kerosene Lamp is a type of lighting

device that uses kerosene as a fuel.
They are very beneficial for lightning,
particularly when there is no
electricity.
 1. Mechanical Clock
 Mechanical Clocks are weight-driven
clocks were used primarily in clock
towers. It enables the monitoring and
management of production processes,
and it is essential to improve labor
productivity.

Medieval Europe 2. Mirror  Mirror is an object that reflects an

image. It is important because it help
us in our daily mundane lives.

3. Quarantine  Quarantine use to prevent the

spreading of diseases. It's an efficient
way of protecting the community. It
keeps us apart from anyone, so we
don't infect others unknowingly.

ACTIVITY 2:

1. What is the House of Wisdom originally located in Baghdad? What role did it play in continuing
the ancient wisdom and breakthroughs in science and technology?

Bait al-Hikmah is the House of Wisdom that is originally located in Baghdad. It has
indeed played a significant role in the intellectual growth and improvement of the Islamic
community. It was an essential interpretation task organization and was considered to be a
main cognitive central point. The relevant and important outcomes have dominated the
Eastern and Western world for several years, and the most influential universities in the
nation have benefited from its blessings.

2. When was the Golden Age of Islamic Science? Why did science and technology flourished in the
areas under the Islamic empires relative to the Christian kingdoms of medieval Europe?

The Islamic Golden Age refers to a period in the history of Islam, traditionally dated
from the 8th century to the 13th century, during which much of the historically Islamic world
was ruled by various caliphates and science, economic development, and cultural works
flourished.

3. Identify three (3) significant inventions/breakthroughs during the middle ages (500 AD – 1500 AD)
related to the conduct of warfare

a. Cuir Bouilli
Cuir bouilli was used for cheap and light armour, although it was much less
effective than plate armour, which was extremely expensive and too heavy for
much to be worn by infantry (as opposed to knights fighting on foot). However, cuir
bouilli could be reinforced against slashing blows by the addition of metal bands or
strips, especially in helmets.
b. Cannon
A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, and usually
launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant.
c. Grenade
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand, but can also
refer to a shell shot out by a rifles or a grenade launcher.
4. Two of the important studies that gained widespread following in the medieval age were
alchemy and astrology. Define alchemy and astrology. Can we consider them science? Why and
why not?

Alchemy is a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle

Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for
transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.

Astrology is a type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human
events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and
the planets.

According to my research, these two cannot be considered as science. Alchemy is an

older form of Chemistry. As the scientific method grew more formally defined, and as
mythology was withdrawn, alchemy became widely recognized as chemistry. So today we do
not really consider alchemy as a science, since the terminology pertains primarily to the
older, less scientific, form of chemistry. Astrology cannot also considered as a science
because astrology is a mythology and has no scientific evidence. Its origins can be traced
back at least as early as the Ancient Mesopotamia of the Third Millennium B.C. Currently,
astrology continues to be a significant illusion. It's been tricked out to everybody, and people
today regularly read it in magazines and newspapers.

5. What is Christian scholasticism? What are its contributions in the scholarly knowledge during the
medieval period?

Scholasticism pertains to the philosophical systems and speculative tendencies of

various medieval Christian thinkers, who, working against a background of fixed religious
dogma, sought to solve anew general philosophical problems (as of faith and reason, will and
intellect, realism and nominalism, and the provability of the existence of God), initially under
the influence of the mystical and intuitional tradition of patristic philosophy, especially
Augustinianism, and later under that of Aristotle.

Some of its contributions in the scholarly knowledge are preserving and spreading
learning as well as culture by the Christian Monasteries.

ACTIVITY 3:

Key Scholars of the Medieval Achievements / Known-to-Fame / Important Works and

Period Books
Ibn Al-Haytham also known as  Described the pinhole camera and invented the camera
Alhazen obscura (a precursor to the modern camera).
 Discovered Fermat's principle of least time and the law of
inertia (known as Newton's first law of motion).
 Discovered the concept of momentum (part of Newton's
second law of motion).
 Described the attraction between masses and was aware
of the magnitude of acceleration due to gravity at a
distance.
 Discovered that the heavenly bodies were accountable to
the laws of physics.
 Presented the earliest critique and reform of the
Ptolemaic model.
 First stated Wilson's theorem in number theory.
 Pioneered analytic geometry.
 Formulated and solved Alhazen's problem geometrically.

Abu Ali al-Hussein Ibn Sina also
known as Avicenna
Abu Qasim Khalaf ibn Abbas Al
Zahrawi also known as Al Zahrawi
Muhammad ibn Musa al-
Khwarizmi
 Developed and proved the earliest general formula for
infinitesimal and integral calculus using mathematical
induction.
 In his optical research laid the foundations for the later
development of telescopic astronomy, as well as for the
microscope and the use of optical aids in Renaissance art.
 The Kitab ash-shifa ("Book of Healing"), probably the
largest work of its kind written by on person, is an
encyclopaedia of knowledge that covers logic, the natural
sciences, the quadrivium (geometry, astronomy,
arithmetic, music), psychology and metaphysics. It shows
Avicenna as the philosopher-scientist of the Greek
tradition, for whom scientific study is embedded in
philosophy. Avicenna's philosophy is formulated in an
Islamic framework and therefore based on the notion of
the one God, but he avoids the discussion of ethics and
politics.
 The al-Qanun fi at-tibb ("Canon of Medicine"), the most
famous book in the history of medicine of all civilizations,
is an encyclopaedia of all medical knowledge of the time.
It was translated into Latin in the 12th century and
established Avicenna's fame in the European civilization.
 The Kitab an-najat ("Book of Salvation"), written partly in
the field during a military campaign, is a masterful
summary of Avicenna's philosophical thought outlined in
the Book of Healing.
 The Kitab al-isharat wa at-tanbihat ("Book of Directives
and Remarks") is Avicenna's testimony; it shows the
development of his personal thought and philosophy in
the direction of Islamic mysticism, from the first growth
of faith to uninterrupted vision of God.
 The Lisan al-'arab ("The Arabic Language"), Avicenna's
answer to criticism that he did not master the Arabic
language properly, did not get beyond the stage of a
rough draft.
 He wrote a 30 volume encyclopedia of medical practices
titled Kitab al-Tasrif, this was translated into Latin and
other languages to be used as a standard text for
medicine throughout Europe for the next 500 years.
 He invented new methods and tools to help heal patients.
He was the first to use a catgut as the threat for internal
stitches.
 He greatly reduced the mortality rate of babies and
mothers by being the first to use forceps in childbirth.
Also the first to describe an abdominal pregnancy.
 He discovered how to set bone fractures, crush bladder
stones and so much more.
 An entire book can be written on the many ‘firsts’ Al-
Zahrawi did. A large number of inventions and innovative
procedures are attributed to him.
 Algebra - The most famous work of Al-Khwarizmi was the
development of algebra, a branch of math that deals with
symbols and the operations between them. Algebra is a
very important field in mathematics and forms the
foundation of modern science and technology. Al-
Khwarizmi defined the algebra in his famous book of
 mathematics, called Hisab Al-Jabr Wa-Al-Muqabala. This
book was very famous and was translated in many
languages, before the dawn of Europeans Era, to teach
and learn algebra. The book has also discussed the
solution of the first-degree and second-degree equations;
both analytically and geometrically. It also discussed
some methods of solving algebraic problems.
 Algorithms – Algorithm is an Arabic word which is now
used to define a process in which certain steps are
performed for the solution of a problem; especially in the
computer The concept of algorithms was first given by Al-
Khwarizmi to solve certain problems in defined steps of
calculations. Today, computer widely use algorithms to
solve a wide variety of problems and decision making.
Due to the introduction of the concept of algorithms, Al-
Khwarizmi is sometimes referred to as the father of
computer science.
 Improvements in Sundials – Sundial is an instrument
which shows time with the help of the position of the
Sun. The sun forms a shadow of the pointer on a plate
which contains marks of the time period. The shadow of
the pointer rotates on the marks when the sun changes
its position. Al-Khwarizmi improved the design of sundials
and made them a universal instrument for checking the
time in any part of the world.
 Map Development - Al-Khwarizmi developed an accurate
map of that time with the help of 70 geographers.
Al-Biruni  Al-Biruni discovered the mathematical methods to find
the distance between the Sun and Earth or Moon and the
Earth with the help of old astrolabes. This way he laid the
foundation of knowing planetary distances. He founded
the way to measure the distance of the Earth’s surface.
 He laid the foundation of the study on multiple religions
like Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.
Therefore, he learned languages like Hebrew, Greek, and
Sanskrit.
 Moreover, his contribution to botany is very valuable as
he determined that flowers have petals in a series of 3, 4,
5, 6, and 8 but 7 and 9 were not in anyone.
 He invented a device through which he successfully
determined the specific gravity of few metals.
Jabir ibn Hayyan  He was the first to produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid.
Sulfuric acid is a very famous acid that most people know
about. It is because sulfuric acid is used in batteries of
vehicles.
 He introduced many properties of a substance, such as
warmth, coldness, moist, and dryness.
 He separated the elemental gold from impurities with the
help of lead element and saltpeter.
 He found a method of purifying elemental mercury.
 There are some substances that can make the water
softer; Jabir called these substances alkali.
 A mixture of acids, called aqua regia, was also
manufactured by him. Aqua regia has the ability to
dissolve elemental gold.
 Jabir developed more than 20 kinds of chemistry lab
equipment; most of them are also used today in the
 laboratories. Some of the lab equipment that he made
are retort and Alembic.
 He developed a method of purifying substances by the
process of crystallization. Facts
Roger Bacon  Opus Majus - is the most important work of Roger Bacon.
It was written in Medieval Latin, at the request of Pope
Clement IV, to explain the work that Bacon had
undertaken. The 878-page treatise ranges over all aspects
of natural science, from grammar and logic to
mathematics, physics, and philosophy. Bacon sent his
work to the Pope in 1267. It was followed later the same
year by a smaller second work, his Opus Minus, which
was intended as an abstract or summary of the longer
work, followed shortly by a third work, Opus Tertium, as a
preliminary introduction to the other two.
 Calendrical reform - In Part IV of the Opus Majus, Bacon
proposed a calendrical reform similar to the later system
introduced in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII. Drawing on
ancient Greek and medieval Islamic astronomy recently
introduced to western Europe via Spain, Bacon continued
the work of Robert Grosseteste and criticised the then-
current Julian calendar as "intolerable, horrible, and
laughable".
 Optics - In Part V of the Opus Majus, Bacon discusses
physiology of eyesight and the anatomy of the eye and
the brain, considering light, distance, position, and size,
direct and reflected vision, refraction, mirrors, and lenses.
 Gunpowder - A passage in the Opus Majus and another in
the Opus Tertium are usually taken as the first European
descriptions of a mixture containing the essential
ingredients of gunpowder. Partington and others have
come to the conclusion that Bacon most likely witnessed
at least one demonstration of Chinese firecrackers,
possibly obtained by Franciscans—including Bacon's
friend William of Rubruck—who visited the Mongol
Empire during this period.
 Summa Grammatica - Bacon's early linguistic and logical
works are the Overview of Grammar (Summa
Grammatica), Summa de Sophismatibus et
Distinctionibus, and the Summulae Dialectices or
Summulae super Totam Logicam.
Albertus Magnus  In 1899, after a significant effort, his works were
accumulated in 38 volumes. His writings demonstrated
his prominent habits and encyclopedic knowledge on a
variety of topics. He consumed, expounded, and
categorised the entirety of Aristotle’s works while
keeping true to the church’s doctrine.
 His main theological works are comprised of a
commentary in three volumes on the ‘Books of the
Sentences of Peter Lombard’ (Magister Sententiarum)
and the ‘Summa Theologiae’ in two volumes.
 Albert’s writings are more philosophical than theological.
The philosophical works, consisting of the first six and the
last of the 21 volumes, are traditionally systematized in
accordance with the Aristotelian scheme of the sciences
and are comprised of explanations and abridgements of
Aristotle's relative works, with added commentary on
 contemporary topics, and irregular disparities from the
views of the legendary Greek philosopher.
 Albert’s insight on natural sciences was immense, and
considering the age, impressively correct. Although, in the
ensuing years, most of his verifiable achievements in
natural sciences have been substituted, his general
process of comprehending science is astonishingly
modern.
Robert Grosseteste  Grosseteste wrote a number of early works in Latin and
French while he was a clerk (see biography above),
including one called Chasteau d'amour, an allegorical
poem on the creation of the world and Christian
redemption, as well as several other poems and texts on
household management and courtly etiquette.
 He also wrote a number of theological works including
the influential Hexaëmeron in the 1230s.
 He was also a highly regarded author of manuals on
pastoral care and produced treatises that dealt with a
variety of penitential contexts, including monasteries, the
parish and a bishop's household.
 He also wrote a number of commentaries on Aristotle,
including the first in the West of Posterior Analytics, and
one on Aristotle's Physics, which has survived as a loose
collection of notes or glosses on the text. Moreover, he
did a lot of very interesting work on Pseudo-Dionysius the
Areopagite's Celestial Hierarchy: he translated both the
text and the scholia from Greek into Latin and wrote a
commentary.
John Buridan  Most of Buridan's works are in the form of commentaries
on Aristotle. He wrote both expositiones (expositions), or
literal commentaries consisting of detailed, line-by-line
explanations of the meaning of Aristotle's words, and
quaestiones (questions), or longer, critical studies of the
philosophical issues raised by them, usually centered on a
specific lemma from the text. Both genres originated in
the classroom, a fact which becomes clear in occasional
references to student queries and student concerns
which survive in the written versions. Like teachers in our
own day, Buridan lectured more than once on the same
text over the course of his career, with the result that
there are sometimes different versions of his
commentary on the same work.
 Buridan's masterwork is the Summulae de dialectica
(Compendium of Dialectic), a comprehensive logic
textbook which started out as a commentary on the
Summulae logicales or logical compendium of the
thirteenth-century dialectician, Peter of Spain, but soon
evolved into an independent work of astonishing breadth
and originality. In it, Buridan redeems the older medieval
tradition of Aristotelian logic through the via moderna
(modern way)—i.e., the newer, terminist logic that had
gradually replaced it. Because the work was accessible to
master and student alike, it became extremely popular at
Paris and in newly-founded universities such as
Heidelberg, Prague, and Vienna.
 Buridan's other works were almost as widely read as the
Summulae. Handwritten copies and early printed editions
were carried by his students and followers throughout
Europe, where they were often used as primary texts in
university courses on logic and Aristotelian philosophy,
meaning that arts masters would teach Aristotle by
reading and explaining Buridan's commentary to the
class. As a result, the via Buridani continued to shape
European thought well into the Renaissance.
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