Attached Files:
Week 3 – PDF – Intelligent Evolution.pdf (97.953 KB)
Week 3 – PDF -Nature of Reasoning.pdf Week 3 – PDF -Nature of Reasoning.pdf – Alternative Formats (199.441 KB)
Week 3 – PDF -The Route To Normal Science.pdf Week 3 – PDF -The Route To Normal Science.pdf – Alternative Formats (101.173 KB)
During the week, please read the first three essays that are pdf files, then choose one the three remaining stories to be included in the body of the paper
Must Read Jacob Bronowski, The Nature of Scientific Reasoning, Originally written in 1956
Must Read Thomas S. Kuhn, The Route to Normal Science. Originally written in 1962
Must Read Edward O. Wilson, Intelligent Evolution Originally written in 1962
Pick just one of the following 3 stories to read as well:
William Cronon, The Trouble with Wilderness About Living in the city/wilderness Originally written in 1995 pages 464-467
Sandra Steingraber, Tune of the Tuna Fish About Tuna and Pollution Originally written in 2008 pages 476-479
Terry Tempest Williams, The Clan of the One-Breasted Women Deals with Breast Cancer Originally written in 1991 pages 469-476
Your readings for this week begin with Jacob Bronowski’s discussion of scientific reasoning. Bronowski is remembered by an older generation as the host of a well-regarded BBC documentary in the early 1970s entitled, The Ascent of Man; it was an eloquent personal reflection on the history of human scientific endeavor. For Bronowski, scientific theory is not a simple collection of facts about the world; rather, it involves curiosity and creativity.
The next reading on your list comes from Thomas Kuhn’s famous work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; this is one of the most important books of the last century. Your textbook is not overstating it by describing Kuhn’s work as “one of the most influential books ever written on the history and philosophy of science.” Kuhn observed that science and scientific progress was not necessarily linear and objective. During periods of scientific revolution, a new consensus or a new paradigm emerges that is not necessarily better or more accurate, but offers simpler or alternative explanations of the world; a new community and a new body of knowledge begins to evolve around the new approach. The new paradigm brings in a new conceptual framework that is incompatible with the old views – in other words there is a paradigm shift.
Edward O. Wilson’s title, Intelligent Evolution is a play on the much debated creationist belief known as intelligent design. The “disjunction between science and religion” as Wilson points out has left us with a troubling legacy. A Gallup Poll taken in 2009, the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth showed that only 4 in 10 Americans believe in evolution.
The last three readings concern the subject of nature and the environment. Environmental issues are also the subject of much debate in this country. William Cronon makes the provocative argument that the concept of “wilderness” is a human creation. Interestingly, Cronon’s piece reads a little like a sermon; even academics steeped in science can sometimes adopt a tone that seems preachy. Sandra Steingraber’s work follows in the tradition of Rachel Carson – thinkers that try to explain complex events and concepts to a largely unspecialized public. Carson is one of the great American conservationists of the last century and a seminal figure in the global environmental movement. Like Carson, Steingraber’s work traces the connection between environmental degradation and human health. Her work looks at environmental hazards that can cause illnesses such as cancer or in the case of the essay for this week the damage caused by contaminants such as mercury in fish. Steingraber finds a way to communicate the dangers of mercury in tuna fish to her six-year-old daughter and by extension alerts her adult readers to these dangers as well. Terry Tempest Williams’ essay also deals with environmental issues and the effects on our health. The one-breasted women in the title of her piece refers to her mother, grandmothers, and six aunts – all underwent mastectomies. Williams sees a clear link between their cancers and the above-ground nuclear testing in the Desert West of the 1950s and 1960s. The image of one-breasted women also alludes to the mythological women warriors, the Amazons, who cut off their right breasts to better wield their weapons. Williams has become a warrior of sorts, an activist, defending the wilderness and fighting for ecological causes. The readings are not very long but require some reflection. The readings will also help you complete the assignments for this week. Therefore, be sure to plan your reading time accordingly.
