Introduction
pp. 1-49
in: Alfred Tauber (ed), Science and the quest for reality, Berlin, Springer, 1997Abstract
We live in a world dominated by scientific consciousness, not only in the practicalities of our everyday lives, but with respect to our most basic notions of reality and objectivity, not to mention how we regard ourselves as animal creatures, rational thinkers, or elements of the entire cosmos. Science has no less than created a world view, and this too has its own consequences. This anthology does not attempt to chart the course of Western science, nor even give a cursory summary of what science has wrought Instead, these essays present broad philosophical, historical, and sociological orientations to place science in its widest intellectual and cultural context. More specifically, however, the task and focus of this volume is to come to grips with science as a cognitive activity, whose philosophical foundations are open to reconstruction and critical scrutiny, whose history suggests dissension and sometimes confusion as to the nature of scientific change, and whose sociology, quite beyond what was postulated a generation ago, argues for an integration of scientific practice in its supporting culture.