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Crude materialism, reduction of mind to body, extreme individualism. All products of a 17th century scientific inheritance which looks at the parts of our existence at the expense of the whole.Cutting through myths of scientific omnipotence, Mary Midgley explores how this inheritance has so powerfully shaped the way we are, and the problems it has brought with it. She argues that poetry and the arts can help reconcile these problems, and counteract generations of 'one-eyed specialists', unable and unwilling to look beyond their own scientific or literary sphere.Dawkins, Atkins, Bacon and Descartes all come under fire as Midgely sears through contemporary debate, from Gaia to memes, and organic food to greenhouse gases. After years of unquestioned imperialism, science is finally forced to take a step back and acknowledge the arts.
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RUNNING HEAD 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 1011 1 2 3111 4 5111 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 2 3 44111 SCIENCE AND POETR Y Science and Poetry is a clear and much needed investigation of why and how science has so powerfully shaped the way we understand ourselves, our behaviour towards others and our place in the world. With her customary sharp insight and clear prose, renowned moral philosopher Mary Midgley shows how the roots of the problem lie in the fragmented, atomistic picture of science we inherited from the seventeenth century. Breaking the world up into small parts and observing them in isolation may work in science, but this book clearly spells out how this kind of approach can be disastrous when turned towards understanding ourselves, the environment and other people. Drawing on examples ranging from the Gaia hypothesis to the recent debate over memes, Mary Midgley spells out the unfortunate legacy of this situation: misguided attempts to reduce mind to body, political and moral individualism, and a needless backlash against science. With its forceful argument that the arts and poetry can help us resolve some of these problems, Science and Poetry is essential reading for all those interested in philosophy and the relation between science and the arts. Mary Midgley is a moral philosopher and the author of many books, including The Ethical Primate, Wisdom, Information and Wonder, Science as Salvation and Utopias, Dolphins and Computers. i I N W H AT K I N D O F W O R L D ? 1111 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 1 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 2 3 44111 ii WIDENING RESPONSIBILITIES SC I E NC E A N D POE T R Y Mary Midgley • GE RO LE UT D l or ou y Ta p • 1111 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 1011 1 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 2 3 44111 & F r n cis G a r London and New York iii I N W H AT K I N D O F W O R L D ? 1111 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 1 2 3 4 5111 6 7 8 9 20111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 30111 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 40111 1 2 3 44111 First published 2001 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2001. © 2001 Mary Midgley All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Librar