The tension between art and science may be traced back to the Greeks. What became "natural philosophy" and later "science" has traditionally been posed as a fundamental alternative to poetry and art. It is a theme that has commanded central attention in Western thought, as it captures the ancient conflict of Apollo and Dionysus over what deserves to order our thought and serve as the aspiration of our cultural efforts. The modern schi sm between art and science was again clearly articulated in the Romantic period and seemingly grew to a crescendo fifty years aga as a result of the debate concerning atomic power. The discussion has not abated in the physical sciences, and in fact has dramatically expanded most prominently into the domains of ecology and medicine. Issues concerning the role of science in modern society, although heavily political, must be regarded at heart as deeply embedded in our cultural values. Although each generation addresses them anew, the philosophical problems which lay at the foundation of these fundamental concerns always appear fresh and difficult. This anthology of original essays considers how science might have a greater commonality with art than was perhaps realized in a more positivist era. The contributors are concerned with how the aesthetic participates in science, both as a factor in constructing theory and influencing practice. The collec tion is thus no less than a spectrum of how Beauty and Science might be regarded through the same prism.

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Editors and Affiliations

Bonston University, USA

Alfred I. Tauber

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: The Elusive Synthesis: Aesthetics and Science
Editors: Alfred I. Tauber
Series Title: Boston Studies in the Philosophy and History of Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1786-6
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Kluwer Academic Publishers 1997
Softcover ISBN: 978-0-7923-4763-7Published: 31 October 1997
eBook ISBN: 978-94-009-1786-6Published: 06 December 2012
Series ISSN: 0068-0346
Series E-ISSN: 2214-7942
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIV, 329
Topics: Philosophy of Science, Aesthetics, Philosophy of Nature, Phenomenology

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Table of contents (14 chapters)

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