The Philosophy of Mining: Historical Aspect and Future Prospect

Abstract

The influence of the humanitarian component (sacred, religious, social factors) on the origin and initial development of mining activity, metallurgy origin, the first natural and technical knowledge accumulation and application forms are considered. The hypothesis of the metallurgy occurrence in the stable communities of primitive miners is considered. The ideology component of important technological inventions, created in an environment where both these phenomena were extremely close, is shown. The organizational forms of mining activity in which sacred factors played an extremely important role from archaic mining communities to medieval religious orders (in particular, Cistercians) were analyzed. The role of traditions, beliefs and professional knowledge in the formation of the special mining communities’ nature from ancient time to the Middle Ages, their heritable resistance and isolation have been revealed. The possible ways of future mining progress are described, for which the scientists’ and entrepreneurs’ substandard ideas and predictions are used.