In his series of
essays, The Identity of Man (1965),
Bronowski assumed the difficult task of vindicating science by humanizing it. His
provocative question—is man a self or a machine?—set the stage for a thoughtful
inquiry into the relationship between science and the humanities. What do they
have in common? How are they different? Why does the self seek refuge from
science? The answers, Bronowski hoped, would help restore the integrity of science
and provide a total philosophy “which shows how a man thinks and feels, how he
makes his values, what man is—which integrates afresh the experiences which
always have been and are human.” The
triumph of these essays lies in their illumination of man’s unique identity as a
thinker and imaginer, whose unparalleled cognitive traits are the basis of his
freedom.
No comments :
Post a Comment