Consilience: The Unity of KnowledgeNATIONAL BESTSELLER • "A dazzling journey across the sciences and humanities in search of deep laws to unite them." —The Wall Street Journal One of our greatest scientists—and the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for On Human Nature and The Ants—gives us a work of visionary importance that may be the crowning achievement of his career. In Consilience (a word that originally meant "jumping together"), Edward O. Wilson renews the Enlightenment's search for a unified theory of knowledge in disciplines that range from physics to biology, the social sciences and the humanities. Using the natural sciences as his model, Wilson forges dramatic links between fields. He explores the chemistry of the mind and the genetic bases of culture. He postulates the biological principles underlying works of art from cave-drawings to Lolita. Presenting the latest findings in prose of wonderful clarity and oratorical eloquence, and synthesizing it into a dazzling whole, Consilience is science in the path-clearing traditions of Newton, Einstein, and Richard Feynman. |
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activity advance animals arts behavior believe biology body brain called cause cells century choice close color common complex concept consilience create culture direction dream early economic effect emotion Enlightenment environment epigenetic rules ethical evidence evolution evolutionary evolved example existence experience explanation expression fact final follows force future genes genetic given human nature idea important individual kind knowledge known language laws learning least less living mathematical means measure mental mind models molecules moral natural sciences objective organisms origin particular patterns philosophers physical population possible predict Press principles problem question reach reason religion remain response result scientific scientists selection sense social sciences societies species success theory thought thousand tion traits true turn understand United University University Press whole York