Summary
Edward O. Wilson's central argument in "Consilience" is the pursuit of a unified theory of knowledge, termed "consilience" (meaning "jumping together"), by forging links between disparate disciplines using the natural sciences as a model. The book renews the Enlightenment's quest for such unity across fields ranging from physics and biology to the social sciences and humanities.
Wilson demonstrates how findings in the natural sciences can illuminate the humanities by exploring the chemistry of the mind, the genetic bases of culture, and the biological principles underlying art. The work synthesizes these diverse findings into a coherent whole, presented with clarity and eloquence, echoing the path-clearing traditions of scientific giants like Newton, Einstein, and Feynman.
Key concepts
- Consilience — The process of "jumping together" of knowledge, aiming for a unified theory across disciplines.
- Chemistry of the mind — Explores the scientific basis of mental processes.
- Genetic bases of culture — Investigates the role of genetics in shaping cultural phenomena.
- Biological principles underlying art — Proposes that biological factors explain the creation and appreciation of art.
From the book
Description: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • "A dazzling journey across the sciences and humanities in search of deep laws to unite them." —The Wall Street Journal One of our greatest scientists—and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature and The Ants—gives us a work of visionary importance that may be the crowning achievement of his career. In Consilience (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Using the natural sciences as his model, Wilson forges dramatic links between fields. He explores the chemistry of the mind and the genetic bases of culture. He postulates the biological principles underlying…
Snippet: In Consilience (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities ...