Science and the Myth of Progress (Perennial Philosophy Series) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 094153247X ISBN 13: 9780941532471

Publisher: World Wisdom Books, 2004

Synopsis

The scientific and technological marvels of today's world are generally viewed as evidence of humanity's advancement and as liberation from various forms of ignorance and prejudice - in short, as proof of human progress. Yet many of our most thoughtful and well informed contemporaries are voicing second thoughts about this almost universally accepted notion. For some, it is the ecological, social and human crisis of our time that have led to this re-examination. For many scientists, however, the reason lies in the nature of the scientific discoveries themselves. Since the second half of the twentieth century, questions of how what we know or what constitutes knowledge have entered more and more into the realm of science. The essays in this book show why this convergence is taking place. More importantly, they go beyond the practical problems and beyond conjecture to the very root of the issue. The core distinction is between a quantifiable knowledge about the "how of existence" and the qualitative knowledge that perceives the "why of existence." These authors share a clear consensus that the root of this knowledge is to found in Traditional Wisdom.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Mehrdad M. Zarandi was born in 1963 in Kerman, Iran. From an early age, he had a keen interest in science and mathematics, which resulted in his taking a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the Isfahan University of Technology. His undergraduate liberal arts studies brought him into contact with the works of contemporary perennialist authors, whose perspective has had a profound effect on his intellectual formation.

He earned Master of Science and Doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, where he has continued to work as a research scientist in aeronautics. In addition to his technical research and publications, he has enjoyed a wide range of teaching experiences with undergraduates in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and the history and philosophy of science.

Edition details

• Publisher: World Wisdom Books
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 094153247X
• ISBN 13: 9780941532471
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352
• Editor: Zarandi Mehrdad