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The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics

Studies in Social Structure, Interests, and Ideas

  • Book
  • © 1985

Overview

Authors:
  1. Sal Restivo

    1. Science and Technology Studies Division, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, USA

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Part of the book series: Episteme (EPIS, volume 10)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-ix
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  2. Physics, Mysticism, and Society

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. The Parallelist Perspective

      1. Parallels Between Physics and Mysticism
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 5-21
      2. The Pitfalls of Parallelism
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 22-52

    3. The Sociology of Physics and Mysticism

      1. Mysticism as a Social Fact
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 55-78
      2. Physics as a Social Fact
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 79-87

    4. Parallelism and Society

      1. Interests and Ideas: Parallelism as an Intellectual Strategy
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 91-104
      2. Parallelism, Science, and Society
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 105-125

    5. Emancipatory Epistemology

      1. Epistemic Strategies, Society, and Social Change
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 129-156

  3. The Social Roots of Mathematics

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 157-157
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    2. Introduction

      1. The Sociology of Mathematics
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 161-175

    3. The Legacy of Marx

      1. Dialectics, Materialism, and Mathematics
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 179-187
      2. Historical Materialism and Mathematics
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 188-193
      3. Contemporary Marxist Sociology of Mathematics
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 194-207

    4. The Legacy of Spengler

      1. Numbers and Cultures
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 211-219
      2. Mathematics and World View
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 220-235

    5. Sociological Materialism and History of Mathematics: An Exploratory Case Study

      1. Mathematics in Ancient Greece
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 239-252
      2. Mathematics in Europe, 1200–1700
        • Sal Restivo
        Pages 253-266

  4. Back Matter

    Pages 267-309
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Keywords

About this book

The problems I address in this book are among the least studied in the soci­ ology of science and knowledge. Part I is a critique of the claim that there are parallels between ancient mysticism and modern physics, and a sociological analysis of this claim as a strategy in intellectual conflict. This study must. ultimately be rooted more firmly in a: type of sociology of knowledge that is just now beginning to crystallize (and which I discuss in Chapter 7), and a sociology of religion that is not so much unknown as underground, and timid, that is, a non-worshipful materialist sociology of religion. My study of physics-mysticism parallelism is a vehicle for exploring epistemic strategies. I thus conclude Part I by sketching a materialist, emancipatory epistemic strategy. My conclusion brings together a number of ideas formulated by myself and others over the past several years, but stops short of a systematic synthesis. A more integrated and coherent "model" than what I can sketch here must wait on the results of research now in progress in the critical (as opposed to apologetic or worshipful) sociology of knowledge.

Reviews

`Sal Restivo's book is a major achievement in the sociology of science and mathematics. It is exciting to read and constitutes a creative, wide-ranging exploration of the connections between physics and mysticism, between the natural science and the humanities. Of particular interest is his attempt to show the emergence of abstraction and of formal disciplines in science by relating them to the structure of social interests in society. All told, this book challenges the separation of C.P. Snow's `two cultures' and is an original attempt to overcome the chasms between the natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences. The implications of the book's content certainly go far beyond its title.'
Prof. W. Heydebrand, New York University

Authors and Affiliations

  • Science and Technology Studies Division, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, USA

    Sal Restivo

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics

  • Book Subtitle: Studies in Social Structure, Interests, and Ideas

  • Authors: Sal Restivo

  • Series Title: Episteme

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-7058-8

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland 1985

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-90-277-1536-4Published: 31 August 1983

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-90-277-2084-9Published: 30 September 1985

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-009-7058-8Published: 06 December 2012

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: IX, 310

  • Topics: Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Religion

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