The World Crisis and What to Do about It: A Revolution for Thought and Action

Description

Science and technology have made the modern world possible, but also created all the global problems that threaten our future: the climate crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, mass extinction of species, environmental degradation, overpopulation, lethal modern war, and the menace of nuclear weapons. Nicholas Maxwell, world-renowned philosopher of science and author of 14 books, argues that all these problems have come about because humans have solved only the first of two great problems of learning ― how to ― acquire scientific knowledge and technological know-how ― but not the second how to create a civilized, wise world. The key disaster of our times is that we have science without wisdom. At present, universities all over the world are devoted to the pursuit of specialized knowledge and technology, or "knowledge-inquiry". Maxwell contends that they need to be radically transformed so that their basic function becomes to help humanity tackle global problems, with a more rigorous and socially beneficial perspective he calls "wisdom-inquiry". About It spells out in detail the changes that need to be made to academic inquiry, why they need to be made, and how they would enable universities to help humanity actively and effectively tackle and solve current global problems. Readership: Academics from a wide range of disciplines (philosophy and inquiry, pedagogy and education policies, global studies, environmental science, etc). Students (undergraduate and graduate). The general reader. Those concerned professionally with global problems, and with higher education. Contents Reviews of Is Science Neurotic? Acknowledgements About the Author Preface 1 The World Crisis 2 The Key to the Disasters of Our Time: Two Great Problems of Learning Conclusion 3 The Profound Enlightenment Idea and Its Bungled Implementation Learning How to Make Progress to a Good, Civilised, Enlightened World The Romantic Opposition 4 The Key to the Solution of the World Crisis We Face The Enlightenment Blunder From Knowledge-Inquiry to Wisdom-Inquiry First Argument: Problem-solving Rationality Second Argument: Aim-Oriented Rationality Questions 5 How Can Wisdom-Inquiry Help Us Solve the World Crisis? How Wisdom-Inquiry Helps Us Solve the Global Crisis “Pure and Applied” Research 6 How Can We Create Wisdom-Inquiry? The Problem How to Create Wisdom-Inquiry 7 What Do We Need to Do to Solve the World Crisis? The Climate and Nature Crises Other Global Problems Towards a Wise World References Index Reviews of Other Books by Nicholas Maxwell From Knowledge to Wisdom The Comprehensibility of the Universe The Human World in the Physical Universe What’s Wrong With Science? Cutting God in Half — And Putting the Pieces Together Again How Universities Can Help Create a Wiser World Global Philosophy In Praise of Natural Philosophy Understanding Scientific Progress Karl Popper, Science and Enlightenment Science and Enlightenment The Metaphysics of Science and Aim-Oriented Empiricism Our Fundamental Problem