The Myths We Live byMary Midgley argues in her powerful new book that far from being the opposite of science, myth is a central part of it. In brilliant prose, she claims that myths are neither lies nor mere stories but a network of powerful symbols that suggest particular ways of interpreting the world. |
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User Review - roblong - LibraryThingA collection of essays about the ways we construct our worldviews, and particularly how theories of genuine but limited value - like the social contract, say - are turned into all-consuming ... Read full review
Contents
How myths work | 1 |
Our place in the world | 7 |
Progress science and modernity | 13 |
Thought has many forms | 21 |
The aims of reduction | 29 |
Dualistic dilemmas | 36 |
Motives materialism and megalomania | 43 |
What action is | 47 |
Biotechnology and the yuk factor | 102 |
The new alchemy | 108 |
The supernatural engineer | 114 |
Heaven and earth an awkward history | 122 |
Science looks both ways | 128 |
Are you an animal? | 135 |
Problems about parsimony | 142 |
Denying animal consciousness | 146 |
Tidying the inner scene why memes? | 56 |
The sleep of reason produces monsters | 61 |
Getting rid of the ego | 68 |
Cultural evolution? | 75 |
Selecting the selectors | 82 |
Is reason sexlinked? | 88 |
The journey from freedom to desolation | 94 |
Beasts versus the biosphere? | 153 |
Some practical dilemmas | 158 |
Problems of living with otherness | 163 |
Changing ideas of wildness | 169 |
Notes | 176 |
| 185 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted action actually already animals appear attitude become behaviour body brain called causes central century claim clear complex concepts consider course creatures culture Darwin deal demand developed discussing earth effects essentially explanation expressed fact feeling follow forces happens hard human idea ideals important individual instance interesting involved kind less living London look Marxism matter meaning methods mind moral motives move myth nature notion objective particular patterns physical political position possible practical present Press principle problem psychology question reason reductive relation scientific scientists seems seen sense serious simply single social species strong subjective suggested supposed surely symbolism theory things thinking thought tion tradition treated trying understand units University whole wide
References to this book
The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality, and Ideology Michael Gard,Jan Wright No preview available - 2005 |
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Myths We Live by |
| Author | Mary Midgley |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Psychology Press, 2004 |
| ISBN | 0415340772, 9780415340779 |
| Length | 192 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |