Reforming Science

图书信息

作者	Ridley, Brian
出版社	Andrews UK
ISBN	9781845404857
出版时间	2016-09-20
字数	31.4万
分类	Andrews UK,进口书,外文原版书,科技,医学

读书简介

In the 17th century Sir Francis Bacon advocated the patient study of Nature for the benefit of mankind. Most of science today, in its study of medicine, genetics, electronics etc., continues that pragmatic Baconian tradition without fuss. Over the years, however, as its investigation of Nature probed ever deeper into regions far removed from common experience, science has increasingly exhibited traits more usually associated with fundamentalist religion that with dispassionate study. Articulate voices from biology preach the belief in 18th century materialism in the study of evolution; those from physics promulgate a kind of mathematical theology in its study of elementary particles and cosmology; both inveigh against heresy. But science should be beyond that sort of belief. It should not see its undoubted success in manipulating matter as justifying any sort of religious status, as offering a spiritual foundation alternative to religion. As a scientist himself, Brian Ridley is appalled by such theological trends, hence this book. It is an attempt to address these concerns, to reform science, to place science in its broad historical and philosophical context where dogmatic belief has no place, to remind science itself that it has limitations.

目录

Cover

Front matter

Title page

Publisher information

Body matter

Introduction

1. The Soul, No Matter, Never Mind

2. A Short History of Animism

3. A Magical World

4. The New Science

5. For the Good of Humanity

6. The New Philosophy

7. Panpsychism

8. The Mind-Body Interaction

9. A Strange New Science

10. Towards a Mathematical Theology

11. Origins

12. The Big Bang Story

13. Meta-Cosmology

14. Beyond Belief

Back matter

Short Bibliography

Also available