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Science and technology have made the modern world possible, but
also created all the global problems that threaten our future: the
climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, mass extinction of species,
environmental degradation, overpopulation, lethal modern war, and
the menace of nuclear weapons. Nicholas Maxwell, world-renowned
philosopher of science and author of 14 books, argues that all
these problems have come about because humans have solved only the
first of two great problems of learning — how to acquire
scientific knowledge and technological know-how — but not the
second — how to create a civilized, wise world.The key disaster
of our times is that we have science without wisdom. At present,
universities all over the world are devoted to the pursuit of
specialized knowledge and technology, or 'knowledge-inquiry'.
Maxwell contends that they need to be radically transformed so that
their basic function becomes to help humanity tackle global
problems, with a more rigorous and socially beneficial perspective
he calls 'wisdom-inquiry'. The World Crisis — And What to Do
About It spells out in detail the changes that need to be made to
academic inquiry, why they need to be made, and how they would
enable universities to help humanity actively and effectively
tackle and solve current global problems.Related Link(s)
Science and technology have made the modern world possible, but
also created all the global problems that threaten our future: the
climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, mass extinction of species,
environmental degradation, overpopulation, lethal modern war, and
the menace of nuclear weapons. Nicholas Maxwell, world-renowned
philosopher of science and author of 14 books, argues that all
these problems have come about because humans have solved only the
first of two great problems of learning - how to acquire scientific
knowledge and technological know-how - but not the second - how to
create a civilized, wise world.The key disaster of our times is
that we have science without wisdom. At present, universities all
over the world are devoted to the pursuit of specialized knowledge
and technology, or 'knowledge-inquiry'. Maxwell contends that they
need to be radically transformed so that their basic function
becomes to help humanity tackle global problems, with a more
rigorous and socially beneficial perspective he calls
'wisdom-inquiry'. The World Crisis - And What to Do About It spells
out in detail the changes that need to be made to academic inquiry,
why they need to be made, and how they would enable universities to
help humanity actively and effectively tackle and solve current
global problems.Related Link(s)
This provocative and challenging book questions how people think
about what universities should seek to do and how they should
respond to the grave problems of our age. It addresses issues such
as: What is wisdom? Ought universities to seek, promote and teach
wisdom and what would this involve? Does it mean we need a
revolution in the aims and methods of academic inquiry? What
implications would the pursuit of wisdom have for science, for
social inquiry and the humanities, for education? Is it reasonable
to ask of universities that they take up the task of helping
humanity learn how to create a wiser world? Is there a religious
dimension to wisdom? What can non-academics do to encourage
universities to take wisdom seriously? Would the pursuit of wisdom
be possible given that universities are increasingly subjected to
commercial pressures? With contributions from leading experts in
various fields Wisdom in the University is essential reading for
all those interested in the future of universities and philosophy
of education. This book was previously published as a special issue
of London Review of Education
This provocative and challenging book questions how people think
about what universities should seek to do and how they should
respond to the grave problems of our age. It addresses issues such
as: What is wisdom? Ought universities to seek, promote and teach
wisdom and what would this involve? Does it mean we need a
revolution in the aims and methods of academic inquiry? What
implications would the pursuit of wisdom have for science, for
social inquiry and the humanities, for education? Is it reasonable
to ask of universities that they take up the task of helping
humanity learn how to create a wiser world? Is there a religious
dimension to wisdom? What can non-academics do to encourage
universities to take wisdom seriously? Would the pursuit of wisdom
be possible given that universities are increasingly subjected to
commercial pressures? With contributions from leading experts in
various fields Wisdom in the University is essential reading for
all those interested in the future of universities and philosophy
of education. This book was previously published as a special issue
of London Review of Education
This book gives an account of work that I have done over a period
of decades that sets out to solve two fundamental problems of
philosophy: the mind-body problem and the problem of induction.
Remarkably, these revolutionary contributions to philosophy turn
out to have dramatic implications for a wide range of issues
outside philosophy itself, most notably for the capacity of
humanity to resolve current grave global problems and make progress
towards a better, wiser world. A key element of the proposed
solution to the first problem is that physics is about only a
highly specialized aspect of all that there is - the causally
efficacious aspect. Once this is understood, it ceases to be a
mystery that natural science says nothing about the experiential
aspect of reality, the colours we perceive, the inner experiences
we are aware of. That natural science is silent about the
experiential aspect of reality is no reason whatsoever to hold that
the experiential does not objectively exist. A key element of the
proposed solution to the second problem is that physics, in
persistently accepting unified theories only, thereby makes a
substantial metaphysical assumption about the universe: it is such
that a unified pattern of physical law runs through all phenomena.
We need a new conception, and kind, of physics that acknowledges,
and actively seeks to improve, metaphysical presuppositions
inherent in the methods of physics. The problematic aims and
methods of physics need to be improved as physics proceeds. These
are the ideas that have fruitful implications, I set out to show,
for a wide range of issues: for philosophy itself, for physics, for
natural science more generally, for the social sciences, for
education, for the academic enterprise as a whole and, most
important of all, for the capacity of humanity to learn how to
solve the grave global problems that menace our future, and thus
make progress to a better, wiser world. It is not just science that
has problematic aims; in life too our aims, whether personal,
social or institutional, are all too often profoundly problematic,
and in urgent need of improvement. We need a new kind of academic
enterprise which helps humanity put aims-and-methods improving
meta-methods into practice in personal and social life, so that we
may come to do better at achieving what is of value in life, and
make progress towards a saner, wiser world. This body of work of
mine has met with critical acclaim. Despite that, astonishingly, it
has been ignored by mainstream philosophy. In the book I discuss
the recent work of over 100 philosophers on the mind-body problem
and the metaphysics of science, and show that my earlier, highly
relevant work on these issues is universally ignored, the quality
of subsequent work suffering as a result. My hope, in publishing
this book, is that my fellow philosophers will come to appreciate
the intellectual value of my proposed solutions to the mind-body
problem and the problem of induction, and will, as a result, join
with me in attempting to convince our fellow academics that we need
to bring about an intellectual/institutional revolution in academic
inquiry so that it takes up its proper task of helping humanity
learn how to solve problems of living, including global problems,
and make progress towards as good, as wise and enlightened a world
as possible.
How is it possible for the world as we experience it to exist
embedded in the physical universe? How can there be sensory
qualities, consciousness, freedom, science and art, friendship,
love, justice all that which gives meaning and value to life if the
world really is more or less as modern science tells us it is? This
is the problem that is tackled by this book. The solution proposed
is that physics describes only a selected aspect of all that exists
that aspect which determines the way events unfold. Sensory
qualities, inner experiences, consciousness, meaning and value, all
these exist but lie beyond the scope of physics, and of that part
of science that can be reduced to physics. Furthermore, these human
features of the world are to be explained and understood, not
scientifically, but "personalistically," a kind of understanding
distinct from, and not reducible to, science. This view that the
world is riddled with what may be called "double comprehensibility"
leads to a proposed solution to the philosophical mind/body
problem, and to the problem of free will; it leads to a
reinterpretation of Darwin's theory of evolution, and to an account
of the evolution of consciousness and free will. After a discussion
of the location of consciousness in the brain, the book concludes
with a proposal as to how academic inquiry might be changed so that
it becomes a kind of inquiry rationally designed to help humanity
create a more civilized human world in the physical universe."
The Comprehensibility of the Universe puts forward a radically new conception of science. Nicholas Maxwell argues that the prevailing view of the relation between scientific theory and evidence is untenable; he calls for a new orthodoxy which sees science as making a hierarchy of assumptions about the comprehensibility of the universe. This new conception has significant implications for both philosophy and science, and promises to heal the rift between the two.
This book argues that two great problems of learning confront
humanity: learning about the nature of the universe and about
ourselves and other living things as a part of it; and learning how
to become civilized. The author proposes that with the creation of
modern science in the 17th century, the first problem was
essentially solved. But the second problem has still not been
solved today, and that combination of solving the first problem,
but failing to solve the second one, puts us in a situation of
unprecedented danger. All our current global problems are the
result. The 18th century Enlightenment tried to solve the second
great problem of achieving world enlightenment by learning from the
solution to the first problem, but in implementing this idea, they
made three serious blunders. These ancient blunders are still built
into academia today. Correct the three blunders we have inherited
from the Enlightenment, and we would have what we so urgently need:
institutions of learning, universities and schools, rationally
designed and devoted to helping us resolve our conflicts and global
problems, and thus make progress towards a good, genuinely
civilized world. Science and Enlightenment: Two Great Problems of
Learning will interest a broad audience, ranging from academics,
university students and teachers; journalists, politicians and
general readers concerned about global problems and the fate of the
world.
How can the world we live in and see, touch, hear, and smell, the
world of living things, people, consciousness, free will, meaning,
and value - how can all of this exist and flourish embedded as it
is in the physical universe, made up of nothing but physical
entities such as electrons and quarks? How can anything be of value
if everything in the universe is, ultimately, just physics? In Our
Fundamental Problem Nicholas Maxwell argues that this problem of
reconciling the human and physical worlds needs to take centre
stage in our thinking, so that our best ideas about it interact
with our attempts to solve even more important specialized problems
of thought and life. When we explore this fundamental problem,
Maxwell argues, revolutionary answers emerge for a wide range of
questions arising in philosophy, science, social inquiry, academic
inquiry as a whole, and - most important of all - our capacity to
solve the global problems that threaten our future: climate change,
habitat destruction, extinction of species, inequality, war,
pollution of earth, sea, and air. An unorthodox introduction to
philosophy, Our Fundamental Problem brings philosophy down to earth
and demonstrates its vital importance for science, scholarship,
education, life, and the fate of the world.
The Comprehensibility of the Universe puts forward a radically new conception of science. Nicholas Maxwell argues that the prevailing view of the relation between scientific theory and evidence is untenable; he calls for a new orthodoxy which sees science as making a hierarchy of assumptions about the comprehensibility of the universe. This new conception has significant implications for both philosophy and science, and promises to heal the rift between the two.
Here is a book that will enthral anyone concerned about ultimate
questions - the nature of the universe, the meaning of life, the
fate of humanity. It is written in a lively, accessible style, and
has original things to say about a number of fundamental issues.
The author argues that we need to sever the God-of-Power from the
God-of-Value. The first is Einstein's God, the underlying unity in
the physical universe that determines how events occur. The second
is what is of most value associated with human life - and sentient
life more generally. Having cut God in half in this way, the
problem then becomes to see how the two halves can be put together
again. This is our basic problem: to see how our human world,
imbued with meaning and value, can exist and flourish embedded in
the physical universe. It is our fundamental philosophical problem,
our fundamental problem of knowledge and understanding, and our
fundamental practical problem of living - personal, social and
global. This book tackles outstanding aspects of this problem, and
in doing so throws out startlingly original ideas about science,
education, religion, evolutionary theory, free will, quantum
theory, and how we should go about tackling impending global crises
such as population growth and global warming. It transpires that
bringing our basic problem into sharp focus has revolutionary
implications. Many aspects of our social and cultural world
urgently need to be transformed. The book would make an excellent
text for an introductory course in philosophy, as well as being of
interest to the general reader.
What ought to be the aims of science? How can science best serve
humanity? What would an ideal science be like, a science that is
sensitively and humanely responsive to the needs, problems and
aspirations of people? How ought the institutional enterprise of
science to be related to the rest of society? What ought to be the
relationship between science and art, thought and feeling, reason
and desire, mind and heart? Should the social sciences model
themselves on the natural sciences: or ought they to take a
different form if they are to serve the interests of humanity
objectively, sensitively and rigorously? Might it be possible to
get into human life, into art, education, politics, industry,
international affairs, and other domains of human activity, the
same kind of progressive success that is found so strikingly, on
the intellectual level, within science? These are some of the
questions tackled by What's Wrong With Science? The author argues
that a range of intellectual, technological, social, moral,
educational and cultural problems associated with modern science
are by-products of the widespread attempt to make science conform
to a seriously inadequate ideal for science, an inadequate, widely
upheld philosophy of science. The author puts forward and defends a
new ideal for science, one which puts people, human life, at the
centre of intellectual concern. Such a "person centred" science
would be both more humanly desirable, and more rigorous and
objective, than science as we have it today. The book is, however,
no abstruse treatise on the philosophy of science. Most of it takes
the form of a passionate debate between a Scientist and a
Philosopher, a debate that is by turns humorous, ironical, bitter,
dramatically explosive. Even as the argument explores the
relationship between thought and feeling, reason and desire, the
two main protagonists find it necessary to examine their own
feelings and motivations. The book is a delight to read and can be
understood by anyone. It should have a wide appeal. It will be of
interest to any scientist concerned about the intellectual and
moral integrity of modern science - whether working in a physical,
biological or social science. It will be of interest to
educationalists, science teachers, students, 6th form pupils,
historians, sociologists and philosophers of science, and indeed to
anyone concerned about the place and role of science and technology
in the modern world.
From Knowledge to Wisdom argues that there is an urgent need, for
both intellectual and humanitarian reasons, to bring about a
revolution in science and the humanities. The outcome would be a
kind of academic inquiry rationally devoted to helping humanity
learn how to create a better world. The basic intellectual aim of
inquiry would be to seek and promote wisdom - wisdom being the
capacity to realize what is of value in life for oneself and
others, thus including knowledge and technological know-how, but
much else besides. * "There are altogether too many symptoms of
malaise in our science-based society for Nicholas Maxwell's
diagnosis to be ignored." Professor Christopher Longuet-Higgins,
Nature. * "a strong effort is needed if one is to stand back and
clearly state the objections to the whole enormous tangle of
misconceptions which surround the notion of science to-day. Maxwell
has made that effort in this powerful, profound and important
book." Dr. Mary Midgley, University Quarterly. * "The essential
idea is really so simple, so transparently right ... It is a
profound book, refreshingly unpretentious, and deserves to be read,
refined and implemented." Dr. Stewart Richards, Annals of Science.
This second edition is revised throughout, has additional material
and three new chapters.
In order to make progress towards a better world we need to learn
how to do it. And for that we need institutions of learning
rationally designed and devoted to helping us solve our global
problems, make progress towards a better world. Our universities
pursue knowledge. They are neither designed nor devoted to helping
humanity learn how to tackle global problems - problems of living -
in more intelligent, humane and effective ways. That, this book
argues, is the key disaster of our times, the crisis behind all the
others.
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