Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
From EvoWiki
by: Edward O. Wilson
description from the cover:
- In this groundbreaking new book, the American biologist Edward O. Wilson, considered to be one of the world's greatest living scientists, argues for the fundamental unity of all knowledge and the need to search for consilience -- the proof that everything in our world is organized in terms of a small number of fundamental natural laws that comprise the principles underlying every branch of learning.
Basically reverse Aristotelianism. Wilson talks of the convergence of sciences and how today it's becoming more difficult to speak meaningfully in one scientific area without connection to others. We've done so much specific research in so many fields that what's more useful now is putting it all together...or parts at least. How can we speak of instinctual animal behavior without genetics and how their brains work and not draw comparison to human psychology? A guy in a lab might be able to do so, but not scientists.
All that apart, my favorite lines in the book were on spirituality. Wilson said something like: We humans are organisms based on evolved group behaviors requiring leadership and cooperation. Having a relatively huge capacity for cause and effect, we are anxious when we don't know the cause. To be happy organisms, we most readily and completely fulfill these functions by a belief in God. But there is no God. Sorry.
Yes, he said, "Sorry." I love this man!
