Title: In praise of natural philosophy : a revolution for thought and life /
Authors: Maxwell, Nicholas, 1937-
Year: 2017
Subjects: Physics Philosophy; Science; Philosophy
Abstract: "The central thesis of this book is that we need to reform philosophy and join it to science to recreate a modern version of natural philosophy; we need to do this in the interests of rigour, intellectual honesty, and so that science may serve the best interests of humanity. The book seeks to redraw our intellectual landscape. It leads to a transformation of science, and to a transformation of philosophy, so that these two distinct domains of thought become conjoined into one: natural philosophy. This in turn has far-reaching consequences for the whole academic enterprise. It transpires that we need an academic revolution. We urgently need to reorganize universities so that they become devoted to seeking and promoting wisdom by rational means--as opposed to just acquiring knowledge, as at present. Modern science began as natural philosophy.^
Contents: Triumphs of natural philosophy -- Emergence of science -- Failures of philosophy, part I -- Failures of philosophy, part II -- Why science needs philosophy, part I : physics -- Why science needs philosophy, part II : natural science -- Why philosophy needs science -- Implications of natural philosophy for the problems of civilization.