The Intelligibility of Nature: How Science Makes Sense of the World (science * culture)

Throughout the history of the Western world, science has possessed an extraordinary amount of authority and prestige. And while its pedestal has been jostled by numerous evolutions and revolutions, science has always managed to maintain its stronghold as the knowing enterprise that explains how the natural world works: we treat such legendary scientists as Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and Einstein with admiration and reverence because they offer profound and sustaining insight into the meaning of the universe. In The Intelligibility of Nature , Peter Dear considers how science as such has evolved and how it has marshaled itself to make sense of the world. His intellectual journey begins with a crucial observation: that the enterprise of science is, and has been, directed toward two distinct but frequently conflated ends—doing and knowing. The ancient Greeks developed this distinction of value between craft on the one hand and understanding on the other, and according to Dear, that distinction has survived to shape attitudes toward science ever since. Teasing out this tension between doing and knowing during key episodes in the history of science—mechanical philosophy and Newtonian gravitation, elective affinities and the chemical revolution, enlightened natural history and taxonomy, evolutionary biology, the dynamical theory of electromagnetism, and quantum theory—Dear reveals how the two principles became formalized into a single enterprise, science, that would be carried out by a new kind of person, the scientist. Finely nuanced and elegantly conceived, The Intelligibility of Nature will be essential reading for aficionados and historians of science alike. Throughout the history of the Western world, science has possessed an extraordinary amount of authority and prestige. Despite numerous evolutions and revolutions, it maintains its distinction as the knowing endeavor that explains how the natural world works and offers insight into the meaning of the universe.In The Intelligibility of Nature, Peter Dear considers how science as such has evolved and positioned itself. His intellectual journey begins with a crucial observation: that scientific ambition is, and has been, directed toward two distinct but frequently conflated ends—doing and knowing. The ancient Greeks articulated the difference between craft and understanding, and according to Dear, that separation has survived to shape attitudes toward science ever since.Teasing out the tension between doing and knowing during key episodes in the history of science—mechanical philosophy and Newtonian gravitation; elective affinities and the chemical revolution; enlightened natural history and taxonomy; evolutionary biology; the dynamical theory of electromagnetism; and quantum theory—Dear reveals how the two principles became formalized into a single enterprise, science, that would be carried out by a new kind of person, the scientist.Finely nuanced and elegantly conceived, The Intelligibility of Nature will be essential reading for aficionados and historians of science alike."Just as the body of knowledge evolves over time, so does the way scientists view the world they are explaining. This interplay between knowledge and mental model is the subject of Peter Dear's book. He shows how mechanistic explanations in physics and chemistry became ever more frequent after the industrial revolution, only to be supplanted by the nihilism of quantum theory in the social turmoil that followed the first world war. It is full of insights into how society, culture and people's perception interweave across biology, chemistry and physics."—Adrian Barnett, New Scientist

throughout The History Of The Western World, Science Has Possessed An Extraordinary Amount Of Authority And Prestige. And While Its Pedestal Has Been Jostled By Numerous Evolutions And Revolutions, Science Has Always Managed To Maintain Its Stronghold As The Knowing Enterprise That Explains How The Natural World Works: We Treat Such Legendary Scientists As Galileo, Newton, Darwin, And Einstein With Admiration And Reverence Because They Offer Profound And Sustaining Insight Into The Meaning Of The Universe.

in the Intelligibility Of Nature, Peter Dear Considers How Science As Such Has Evolved And How It Has Marshaled Itself To Make Sense Of The World. His Intellectual Journey Begins With A Crucial Observation: That The Enterprise Of Science Is, And Has Been, Directed Toward Two Distinct But Frequently Conflated Ends—doing And Knowing. The Ancient Greeks Developed This Distinction Of Value Between Craft On The One Hand And Understanding On The Other, And According To Dear, That Distinction Has survived To Shape Attitudes Toward Science Ever Since.

teasing Out This Tension Between Doing And Knowing During Key Episodes In The History Of Science—mechanical Philosophy And Newtonian Gravitation, Elective Affinities And The Chemical Revolution, Enlightened Natural History And Taxonomy, Evolutionary Biology, The Dynamical Theory Of Electromagnetism, And Quantum Theory—dear Reveals How The Two Principles Became Formalized Into A Single Enterprise, Science, That Would Be Carried Out By A New Kind Of Person, The Scientist. 

finely Nuanced And Elegantly Conceived, the Intelligibility Of Nature Will Be Essential Reading For Aficionados And Historians Of Science Alike.

plant Science Bulletin

an Excellent Treatise On The Dualistic Character Of Science In History.--tadeusz Aniszewski, plant Science Bulletin

— Tadeusz Aniszewski

"Teasing out this tension between doing and knowing during key episodes in the history of science - mechanical philosophy and Newtonian gravitation, elective affinities and the chemical revolution, enlightened natural history and taxonomy, evolutionary biology, the dynamical theory of electromagnetism, and quantum theory - Dear reveals how the two principles became formalized into a single enterprise, science, that would be carried out by a new kind of person, the scientist." "The Intelligibility of Nature will be essential reading for aficionados and historians of science alike."--Jacket "In The Intelligibility of Nature, Peter Dear considers how science as such has evolved and how it has marshaled itself to make sense of the world. His intellectual journey begins with a crucial observation: that the enterprise of science is, and has been, directed toward two distinct but frequently conflated ends - doing and knowing. The ancient Greeks developed this distinction of value between craft on the one hand and understanding on the other, and according to Dear, that distinction has survived to shape attitudes toward science ever since." Introduction : science as natural philosophy, science as instrumentality The mechanical universe from Galileo to Newton A place for everything : the classification of the world The chemical revolution thwarted by atoms Design and disorder : the origin of species Dynamical explanation : the aether and Victorian machines How to understand nature? : Einstein, Bohr, and the quantum universe Conclusion : making sense in science.