Fizikos ir taikomųjų mokslų pradžia Lietuvoje

LTŠioje mokslo istorijos studijoje, pasiremiant dokumentais, esančiais Lietuvos ir kaimyninių šalių archyvuose, nagrinėjamos fizikos mokslo ištakos Lietuvoje, jo pasiekimai senajame Vilniaus universitete, iškilių XVII - XIX a. fizikos profesorių veikla, Fizikos ir Mechanikos modelių kabinetų istorija. Aprašomos Edukacinės komisijos, įkurtos 1773 m., pastangos suteikti mokslo žinioms praktinį pobūdį, diegti universitete inžinerines disciplinas. Pirmajame leidinio skyriuje apžvelgiama scholastinės fizikos raida nuo pat Vilniaus universiteto įkūrimo iki XVIII a. viduryje įvykusio tiksliųjų mokslų atsiskyrimo nuo gamtos filosofijos. Antrajame skyriuje analizuojama fizikos kaip visiškai savarankiško mokslo plėtra; kalbama apie kiekvieno fizikos profesoriaus skaitytų kursų ypatybes, mokslo tiriamojo darbo Vilniaus universitete pradmenis. Pateikiama žinių apie Fizikos ir matematikos mokslų skyriaus administravimą, mokslinių laipsnių teikimo tvarką, universiteto garbės narius. Trečiasis skyrius skirtas Vilniaus universiteto fizikos prietaisų rinkinio istorijai, - nagrinėjamos kabineto sudarymo aplinkybės ir plėtros etapai. Skelbiami dokumentai apie sukauptų rinkinyje mokslo priemonių likimą. Ketvirtajame skyriuje aprašoma nuo bendrosios fizikos kurso atsiskyrusių taikomųjų ir inžinierinių mokslų genezė, kiekvieno mokslininko veikla, formuojant geodezijos, mechanikos ir technologijų disciplinas, gausinant Mechanikos modelių kabinetą. Aptariama, kaip mokslo pasiekimai buvo populiarinami leidinyje „Dziennik Wilenski”. Trumpai apžvelgiama ir Vilniaus universiteto auklėtinių, tapusių garsiais inžinieriais Rusijos imperijoje bei vakarų šalyse, kūrybinė veikla. [Iš leidinio]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Lietuvos istorija; Mokslo istorija; Universitetas; Fizika; Mokslininkai; The Lithuanian history; History of sciences; University; Academics.

EN[...] The present work on the history of science analyses the sources of the science of physics and applied sciences in Lithuania, and its achievements at the old Vilnius University. It also deals with the efforts of applying theoretical knowledge in practise for the needs of the country which resulted in the necessity of teaching engineering subjects such as construction mechanics or geodesy. The professors and students of the University worked hard while spreading the learning with the aim of drawing the technical knowledge closer to the general public. Our monograph is assigned for scientists as well as for students of physics and engineering, for all who are interested in the history of education in Lithuania. The authors hope that their work will be especially useful for teachers. To perceive the essence of natural phenomena and to improve the process of cognition, the methods and means of scientific study must be investigated. It is important to see the relationship between the object of the study and the researcher. To reveal the gnoseologic aspect of science, the historical data about science and engineering may be successtiilly applied. Fragments history of science can be helpful for disclosing the main principles in the theory of the laws of nature. The studies in the history of scientific discoveries and their application are not only of methodological interest. They also help to perceive the didactic meaning. A complex phenomenon becomes clearer and more memorable when it is related to a concrete person under certain historical circumstances. This publication consists of four chapters. In the first chapter, the development of scholastic physics from the very begginning of the foundation of the Vilnius University up to the middle of the 18th century and the course of separation of natural sciences from nature philosophy are described.Special merits in this process belong to Thomas Żebrowski (1714-1758), the founder of the Astronomic Observatory and Physics Room. This chapter helps the reader to know the rudiments of physics as a science. But it was only in 1773, after the establishment of the Educational Commission, that a new stage in the development of the exact sciences began. The educational reform following the landmarks drawn by Educational Commission successfully went on in the colleges of the country. The notes of the courses read at the college of Kražiai can witness this fact. The structure of material in physics has been explained on the basis of the ideas of dynamic atomism created by R. Boscovich. The practical fundamentals of mechanics were delivered there as well. In the second chapter, the development of physics as an independent science is being analysed. It was especially important to implement the ideas of the Educational Commission in the field of the exact and the applied sciences. In separate sections, the special peculiarities of the courses by professors of physics such as J. R. Mickiewicz (1744-1817), S. Stubielewicz (1762-1814), K. Krassowski (1784-1854) and F. Drzewiński (1788-1850) are being mentioned. The conformity of the content of the curricula of physics to the achievements of world science and the rudiments of scientific investigations at the University are also described here. It was interesting to note that the investigations had started with the connection between electricity and magnetism as well as with the nature of heat. These were the most urgent fields of physics at that time. Some facts about the administration of the scientific Department of Physics and Mathematics, about the order of conferring scientific degrees, some knowledge about the members of honour at the University and some elements of the international collaboration are shown here, too. [Extract, p.167-168]