Man, being part of nature and having some similarities with animals, especially primates, however, has a completely unique property. His brain can perform actions called cognitive in psychology - cognitive. The ability of a person to abstract thinking, associated with the development of the cerebral cortex, led him to a purposeful comprehension of the laws underlying the evolution of nature and society. As a result, a cognitive phenomenon such as fundamental science arose.
In this article, we will consider the development paths of its various branches, and also find out how theoretical studies differ from the practical forms of cognitive processes.
General knowledge - what is it?
The part of cognitive activity that studies the basic principles of the structure and mechanisms of the universe, as well as the causal relationships arising from the interactions of objects of the material world, is fundamental science.
She is called upon to study the theoretical aspects of both natural-mathematical and humanitarian disciplines. The special structure of the United Nations Organization dealing with issues of science, education and culture, UNESCO, refers to fundamental research precisely those that lead to the discovery of new laws of the universe, as well as to the establishment of links between natural phenomena and objects of physical matter.
Why you need to support theoretical research
One of the hallmarks of highly developed states is the high level of development of general knowledge and the generous funding of scientific schools involved in global projects. As a rule, they do not provide quick material benefits and are often laborious and expensive. However, it is fundamental science that is the basis on which further practical experiments are based and the implementation of the results obtained in industrial production, agriculture, medicine and other branches of human activity.
Fundamental and applied science - the driving force of progress
So, global knowledge of the essence of being in all forms of its manifestation is a product of analytical and synthetic functions of the human brain. The empirical assumptions of ancient philosophers about the discreteness of matter led to the hypothesis of the existence of the smallest particles - atoms, voiced, for example, in Lucrezius Cara's poem "On the nature of things." The ingenious studies of M.V. Lomonosov and D. Dalton led to the creation of an outstanding atomic-molecular theory.
The postulates provided by fundamental science served as the basis for subsequent applied research conducted by practical scientists.
From theory to practice
The path from the office of a theoretical scientist to a research laboratory can take many years, or it can be swift and full of new discoveries. For example, Russian scientists D. D. Ivanenko and E. M. Gapon in 1932 discovered the composition of atomic nuclei in laboratory conditions, and soon professor A. P. Zhdanov proved the existence of extremely large forces inside the nucleus that bind protons and neutrons into a single whole. They were called nuclear, and applied discipline - nuclear physics - found them in cyclophasotrons (one of the first created in 1960 in Dubna), in reactors of nuclear power plants (in 1964 in Obninsk), in the military industry. All the examples cited above by us clearly demonstrate how fundamental and applied science are interconnected.
The role of theoretical research in understanding the evolution of the material world
It is no coincidence that the beginning of the formation of universal knowledge is associated with the development, first of all, of the system of natural disciplines. Our society initially tried not only to learn the laws of material reality, but also to get total power over them. It is enough to recall the famous aphorism of I. V. Michurin: “We cannot wait for favors from nature, to take them from her is our task.” To illustrate, let's look at how physical fundamental science developed. Examples confirming human genius can be found in the discoveries that led to the formulation of the law of universal gravitation.
Where use the knowledge of the law of gravity
It all started with the experiments of Galileo Galilei, who proved that body weight does not affect the speed at which it falls to the ground. Then in 1666, Isaac Newton formulated a postulate of universal significance - the law of universal gravitation.
The theoretical knowledge that physics has received - a fundamental science of nature, mankind has successfully applied in modern methods of geological exploration, in making forecasts of ocean tides. Newton’s laws are used in calculating the motion of artificial Earth satellites and intergalactic stations.
Biology is a fundamental science
Perhaps, in no other branch of human knowledge is there such an abundance of facts that serve as a vivid example of the unique development of cognitive processes in the biological species Homo sapiens. The postulates of natural science formulated by Charles Darwin, Gregor Mendel, Thomas Morgan, I.P. Pavlov, I.I. Mechnikov and other scientists have fundamentally influenced the development of modern evolutionary theory, medicine, breeding, genetics and agriculture. Further we will give examples confirming the fact that in the field of biology fundamental and applied science are closely interconnected.
From modest bed gardening to genetic engineering
In the middle of the 19th century, in a small town in the south of the Czech Republic, G. Mendel conducted experiments on the crossbreeding of several varieties of peas, which differed in color and shape of seeds. Mendel picked fruits from the obtained hybrid plants and counted seeds with various traits. Due to its extreme thoroughness and pedantry, the experimenter conducted several thousand experiments, the results of which were presented in the report.
His fellow scientists, after listening politely, left him without attention. But in vain. Almost a hundred years passed, and several scientists at once - De Vries, Chermak and Correns - announced the discovery of the laws of heredity and the creation of a new biological discipline - genetics. But the laurels of superiority did not go to them.
The time factor in understanding theoretical knowledge
As it turned out later, they duplicated the experiments of G. Mendel, taking only other objects for their research. By the middle of the 20th century, new discoveries in the field of genetics fell like a cornucopia. De Vries creates his own mutational theory, T. Morgan creates the chromosome theory of heredity, Watson and Crick decipher the structure of DNA.
However, the three main postulates formulated by G. Mendel still remain the cornerstone on which biology stands. Fundamental science has once again proved that its results are never in vain. They simply wait for the right time when humanity will be ready to understand and appreciate the new knowledge as it deserves.
The role of the disciplines of the humanitarian cycle in the development of global knowledge about the world order
History is one of the very first branches of human knowledge, which originated in ancient times. Herodotus is considered its founder, and the treatise “History”, written by him, is the first theoretical work. Until now, this science continues to study the events of the past, and also reveals possible cause-effect relationships between them on the scale of both universal human evolution and the development of individual states.
The outstanding studies of O. Comte, M. Weber, and G. Spencer served as strong evidence in favor of the assertion that history is a fundamental science designed to establish the laws of development of human society at various stages of its development.
Its applied branches - economic history, archeology, the history of state and law - deepen our ideas about the principles of organization and evolution of society in the context of the development of civilizations.
Jurisprudence and its place in the system of theoretical sciences
How the state functions, what patterns can be identified in the process of its development, what are the principles of interaction between the state and law - fundamental legal science answers these questions . It contains the most common categories and concepts for all applied branches of jurisprudence. They are then successfully used in their work by forensics, forensic medicine, legal psychology.
Jurisprudence ensures compliance with legal norms and laws, which is the most important condition for the preservation and prosperity of the state.
The role of computer science in globalization
To imagine how much this science is in demand in the modern world, we give the following figures: more than 60% of all jobs in the world are equipped with computer equipment, and in high-tech industries, the figure rises to 95%. Erasing information barriers between states and their populations, creating global world trade and economic monopolies, and creating international communication networks is impossible without IT technologies.
Computer science as a fundamental science creates a set of principles and methods that ensure the computerization of the control mechanisms of any objects and processes taking place in society. Its most promising applied industries are network development, economic informatics, and computer production management.
Economics and its place in the global scientific potential
Economic fundamental science is the basis for modern interstate industrial production. It reveals causal relationships between all subjects of economic activity of society, and also develops the methodology of a single economic space on the scale of modern human civilization.
Having arisen in the writings of A. Smith and D. Ricardo, having absorbed the ideas of M. Friedman on monetarism, modern economic science makes extensive use of the concepts of neoclassicism and the mainstream. Based on them, the applied sectors were formed: regional and post-industrial economy. They study both the principles of rational distribution of production and the consequences of the scientific and technological revolution.
In this article, we have found out what role fundamental science plays in the development of society. The examples given above confirm its paramount importance in the knowledge of the laws and principles of the functioning of the material world.