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First published in 1941 (this edition in 1968), this book explores the relationship between science, culture, and society- focusing on human beings, and human communities. Here, C. H. Waddington uses the concept of science to mean more than factual information about genes and haemoglobin and his subject is the effect of scientific ways of speaking on the ways in which people look at the world around them. The work discusses biological assumptions made by various communities, particularly fascist movements, on human beings and compares them with the scientific attitude. The Nazis for instance spoke about 'racial purity' and 'German blood' but these expressions, whilst arousing emotion, had, and have, no rational meaning- they are inaccurate and tell us nothing of human genetics. As well as presenting a scientific argument, being published initially in 1941, this book also acts as a historical document, conveying some of the feeling of living through WWII. It highlights the fact that science and scientific assumptions have very wide implications for the whole conduct of life.… (more)
User reviews
Not very much science is included in this book, it is more of an assessment of the indirect influences of science and scientists, so much of it might be classed as sociology. The author takes a fairly heavily left-wing view of things, which I found to be the only irritating thing about this book, but this is understandable due to the time in which this book was written. I didn't find the essays to be as stimulating as those of somewhat comparable writers like Koestler, but there were some interesting opinions to do with art, which would never have occurred to me, though I think he was correct about them.
This book might be interesting for the scientist, as it describes the world from the view of a scientist, but it might also be interesting for a non-scientist who is interested in learning how various aspects of the world are affected by science.