An Ordinary World: The role of science in your search for personal meaning
Todd Duncan, Science Integration Institute, Hillsboro, http://www.theassayer.org/
Summary
Behind all the ordinary concerns, struggles, and details of daily life, do we believe that there is a context within which it really matters what we choose to do?
Modern science has revealed insights about the universe that were unimagined just a few generations ago. Surely some of these insights are important for understanding the overall context that gives meaning and significance to our lives. But science has acquired a reputation for dehumanising the world, leaving us stranded and alienated in a universe for which our existence seems irrelevant. One reason for this is that some of the information uncovered by science has been destructive of many belief systems on which we traditionally base our sense that our actions matter.An Ordinary World outlines a way to approach scientific information from a more optimistic and constructive point of view. It suggests how to develop a perspective on science from which one can pursue one’s own search for meaning in a way that is consistent with a scientifically realistic map of the world.
What some reviewers say …
Reviewer Kim Coble, ref: http://www.theassayer.org/cgi-bin/, says:
An Ordinary World ... is an introduction to the concept of "science integration," the process of incorporating insights from science into a personal world-view. Whether we articulate it or not, we all have a world-view, a context within which we make choices and take action. Becoming more aware of how we view the world has a direct impact on how we live our lives. Of the many choices we are faced with each minute and the many actions we can take, we need a way of filtering out what works from what doesn't. Science has had great success in helping us deal with the constraints of the external world. Science can help us see how we fit into the overall scheme of the universe, giving us a bigger context within which to operate. It can help us both to clarify our goals and to achieve what matters to us.
After introducing the idea of science integration, the author works through some examples of integrating science into a personal world-view and of approaching science from an optimistic perspective that can lead to greater personal meaning. For example, the scientific method is developed by asking how we are able to read the words in the book. This leads the reader to think of models for how light works and of simple tests to figure it out; this is science. The idea that morals are information dependent is illustrated through environmental examples. These examples show that science is not just abstract, that it can provide valuable information for making life choices. It invites readers to ask what new information would cause them to change their actions in a variety of situations and to make sure their actions will have the desired consequences. Although science cannot answer all our questions, it does provide an ordered way of thinking, of working things out. The book concludes with a vision of how our lives could be better through more conscious living. It lists several reasons why having a clear world-view can improve your life and the lives of others. Our lives are made of the choices we make. We construct mental maps to guide our choices, and science can help us make accurate maps. If we make a conscious effort to extract information from science and integrate it into our lives, science can help us in our search for personal meaning.
Another reviewer, Murali Sundar, ref: http://www.theassayer.org/cgi-bin/, says:
This is an interesting book, because it provides a unique perspective. The title of the book, An Ordinary World ... might lead one to think that this is one of those books that try to force-fit science into spirituality through meta-physical or linguistic gymnastics. This book does not do that. In fact, this book has nothing whatsoever to do with pushing any belief; scientific or religious. Instead, the theme of the book states that your world-view depends on the questions you raise. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you have a world-view that provides a framework in which you live. Most of what we do in our daily lives is based on habit which by definition is unconscious. This book provides one perspective and poses questions that will make you conscious of how you fit into the world around you. However, the book is not a manual for how to live an environmentally friendly life.
To put simply, the book poses questions in the context - it forces you to THINK!
First, some background about a line of thought is provided and the line of thought is developed with copious quotes, references to prior work, scientific and philosophical. Then, the book poses some questions that you, the reader, has to answer for yourself. Generally speaking, people want answers that they can follow without thinking much. Philosophers provide questions and no answers. There is no one in the middle. Science came along and suddenly we have this "answer machine" but now, people are slowly realizing that while science provides answers, the answers are always applicable only in the "context" that is appropriate. Without understanding the context, science is meaningless. This may appear to be a silly argument but considering that science has become so specialized that traditional statements like "use water to put out fire" are also very dangerous. For example, if you have an electrical fire, and you use water, it is the worst thing you can do. I cite this example at the risk of sounding silly and simplistic but the main point is that science has simply advanced so much that unless one takes the time to see how one relates to it, it will always remain the enigmatic "answer machine" that sometimes works and sometimes does not. Science merely provides better and improved tools but humans must learn to integrate the new knowledge and make use of it in an apppropiate context. We do that by asking questions. Without that we will end up in one of two camps: Science will solve all problems; or Science will only create more problems. Both are false and are really the result of a lack of thought.
So, An Ordinary World ... is a first step for us to relate to the world around us using all the information at our disposal including scientific information. The book provides perspectives on various "contexts" so that questions do not appear completely arbitrary and abstract. Readers can then begin to formulate thoughts about their own questions. What constitutes an answer is up for discussion. It is based on our world-view, as in the words of John Muir "When you tug at a thing in nature, you find it attached to the rest of the world".And so, the author wants you to tug at yourself and observe how it affects the world around you.
Enjoy!
