[Alberta's Child]

Interesting article, but I think the author misses a very important point. Instead of asking why Islamic societies lag in science, he would have been better off asking why almost every society "lags" in science. Science is almost uniquely Western as a dominant cultural force, despite the relatively advanced cultures found in other parts of the world at various points in human history.

What has set Europe apart (and, by extension, those parts of the world that were explored and developed by the European powers) from any other culture since the 15th century was that it was uniquely positioned to take advantage of three key cultural forces that combined to lay the foundation for rapid scientific advancement. These include the following: 1) the "linear" mindset of Judaeo-Christianity, which was in stark contrast to the "cyclical" mindset of almost every other culture in the history of the world; 2) the egalitarianism of Christianity, which resulted in the historical anomaly of human equality across different ethnic and tribal lines; and 3) the Persian numerical system, which was left behind when the Moors were chased out of Europe in the late 1400s.

Item #1 is important because it explains why the most important, and enduring, legacies of exploration have been left by the Europeans. A "cyclical" mindset that was common in all Eastern and aboriginal cultures is not conducive to exploration and scientific development, for people with this mindset view the world around them as nothing more than endless cycles of days, years, lunar phases, etc. You plant in the spring, harvest in the fall, do your best to keep warm in the winter, and then start all over again in the spring. That's all there is to it, and then one day you die of a disease or of old age and take your place next to some mystical bonfire in the sky.

The "linear" history of Judaism and Christianity changed all of that. Since the world had a beginning and will have an end, one of the underlying currents in Western society was the notion that these various cycles didn't always have to be the same. The farmer who planted and harvested 10 acres of corn one year began to think about how to plant and harvest 15 acres the next year, and instead of simply accepting natural phenomena like famines, plagues, etc. at face value, people began to think about how to deal with them and minimize the harm they caused. This point is often overlooked, and yet it goes a long way toward explaining why Western culture has dominated the world for so long. The man in Asia who looked out at the Pacific Ocean simply saw waves crashing on the shore, while the man in Europe who looked out at the Atlantic wondered what was on the other side.

Item #3 was absolutely essential to scientific development because the Roman numbering system was useless for anything more advanced than counting and cataloguing. So many of the basic elements of mathematics that we take for granted -- including such things as multiplication, division, negative numbers, and even the number "0" -- were meaningless in the context of the Roman system.

[Resolute]

Ditto, regarding the importance of linear thinking. A few years ago I was assigned to "train" some Arabic persons in a specific topic. The absolute biggest impediment was that they habitually reverted to nonlinear and/or cyclic thought processes.

[yankeedame]

Very insightful observations and some excellent points to consider; however, if I may be so bold, I would add one vital -- if, in fact, not THE most vital -- factor that allowed science to sink deep roots and flourish in the West as it did no where else in the world, and that is

The Sanctity of Private Property.

If I build a better mouse-trap and yet the state senator of my district gets all the credit and, in turn,I get little, if anything. Why in the world would I spent countless hours busting my buttons developing this mouse- trap? Esp. if it turns out the better mouse-trap turns out of be a flop -- who do you think is going to get blamed? The state senator? Of course not! I will, and not only for making a flop of a mouse-trap but for making the senator a laughing stock. In short, if this mouse-trap is a hit he gets everything. If this mouse-trap is a flop I get everything....dumped on me, like a ton of raw sewage.

In the West, I strive to build a better mouse-trap b/c I know that if it is a hit I will win fame, glory, and $$$. B/c this new, improved mousetrap is mine.In the non-Western world, I strive to build a better mouse-trap b/c I...I...ferggaboutit...a few mouse droppings never hurt anybody.

[apro]

"3) the Persian numerical system, which was left behind when the Moors were chased out of Europe in the late 1400s. "

Actually that would be the INDIAN numerical system. ;)
http://members.tripod.com/~INDIA_RESOURCE/mathematics.htm

[Virginia-American]

...3) the Persian numerical system, which was left behind when the Moors were chased out of Europe in the late 1400s...

The Hindu-Arabic number system was introduced to Europe in 1202 in Leonardo of Pisa (aka Fibonacci)'s "Liber Abaci". It was developed in India, the Muslims got it from them.