Abstract
Two great problems of learning confront humanity: learning about the nature of the universe and about ourselves and other living things as a part of the universe, and learning how to become civilized. The first problem was solved, in essence, in the 17th century, with the creation of modern science. But the second problem has not yet been solved. Solving the first problem without also solving the second puts us in a situation of great danger. All our current global problems have arisen as a result. Population growth, the lethal character of modern war, habitat destruction, extinction of species, pollution, climate change: all these global problems have been made possible by modern industry and agriculture, modern hygiene and medicine, modern armaments, made possible in turn by modern science and technology. Our inability to solve these grave global problems that threaten our future attests to our failure to solve the second great problem of learning—learning how to become civilized. Our future is in peril as a result. What we need to do, in response to this unprecedented crisis, is learn from our solution to the first problem how to solve the second one.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Some scientists, and many historians of science deny that there is any such thing as scientific method. This is a symptom of the persistent failure of the intellectual community to get the progress-achieving methods of science properly into focus, as we shall see in Chap. 3.
- 2.
Actually, some contemporary historians and sociologists of science do deny that science has improved our knowledge of the world; this denial is another symptom of the general failure to get the nature of scientific method properly into focus, as we shall see in Chap. 3.
- 3.
There is a long-standing debate as to whether technology emerges from science, or develops independently, or actually contributes to science (as in the case of the steam engine leading to the development of thermodynamics). I sidestep this debate, here, and assume, merely that, as far as modern science is concerned, science and technology developed in tandem with one another, each contributing to the development of the other.
- 4.
In chapter eight I will consider grounds for holding that it is not possible for humanity to become substantially more civilized over the centuries.
- 5.
Elliot in his (1972), estimates numbers of 20th century deaths due to violence, up to 1972, as follows: First World War: 10 million; The Jews of Europe: 5 million; Russian Civil War period 1917–21: 10 million; China 20th Century: 20 million; Russia, Stalin’s totalitarian state: 20 million; Russia, Second World War: 20 million; rest of the Second World War: 10 million; other 20th century conflicts: 10 million. Total Estimate up to 1972: 110 million. Some estimates put deaths due to war in the 20th century as high as 160–200 million.
- 6.
No one knows whether fusion power will ever become a realistic possibility.
- 7.
I use the terms “civilized”, “wise” and “enlightened” world more or less interchangeably to mean “good” world. (The argument of this book is so general and fundamental that, at this stage, any distinctions in meaning between these terms is irrelevant).
- 8.
This minimal characterization of a “civilized” (or, equivalently, an “enlightened” or “wise”) world will suffice for the time being. Later on, in Chap. 4, I will consider what we ought to mean by civilization more carefully.
- 9.
It may be objected: it is not science that is the cause of our global problems but rather the things that we do, made possible by science and technology. This is obviously correct. But it is also correct to say that scientific and technological progress is the cause. The meaning of “cause” is ambiguous. By “the cause” of event E we may mean something like “the most obvious observable events preceding E that figure in the common sense explanation for the occurrence of E”. In this sense, human actions (made possible by science) are the cause of such things as people being killed in war, destruction of tropical rain forests. On the other hand, by the “cause” of E we may mean “that prior change in the environment of E which led to the occurrence of E, and without which E would not have occurred”. If we put the 20th century into the context of human history, then it is entirely correct to say that, in this sense, scientific-and-technological progress is the cause of distinctively 20th century disasters: what has changed, what is new, is scientific knowledge, not human nature. Yet again, from the standpoint of theoretical physics, “the cause” of E might be interpreted to mean something like “the physical state of affairs prior to E, throughout a sufficiently large spatial region surrounding the place where E occurs”. In this third sense, the sun continuing to shine is as much a part of the cause of war and pollution as human action or human science and technology.
- 10.
References
Elliot G (1972) Twentieth century book of the dead. Allen Lane, London
Holdgate M (1996) From care to action. Earthscan, London
Huxley A (1980) The human situation. Triad/Panther Book, St. Albans
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Maxwell, N. (2019). Learning About the Universe and Learning How to Create Civilization. In: Science and Enlightenment. SpringerBriefs in Philosophy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13420-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13420-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-13419-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-13420-4
eBook Packages: Religion and PhilosophyPhilosophy and Religion (R0)