Nicholas Maxwell Book order

The book explores the prevailing philosophy of inquiry that has shaped universities, examining its historical roots and implications for education. It critiques the traditional approaches to knowledge and emphasizes the need for a more inclusive and interdisciplinary framework. By highlighting alternative methodologies and perspectives, the author advocates for a transformative shift in academic practices that fosters critical thinking and innovation. This work challenges readers to reconsider the foundations of higher education and its role in society.

The book explores the dual challenges posed by science and technology in modern society. While advancements have enabled progress, they have also contributed to significant global issues, including climate change, pandemics, and nuclear threats. Nicholas Maxwell, a prominent philosopher of science, contends that humanity has mastered the acquisition of scientific knowledge but has failed to address the crucial task of fostering a wise and civilized world. This oversight has led to the current crises threatening our future.

How our human world can exist and best flourish even though it is embedded in the physical universe.

Focusing on the mind-body problem and the problem of induction, the author presents decades of philosophical work that offers revolutionary insights. These contributions not only deepen our understanding of fundamental philosophical issues but also have significant implications for addressing pressing global challenges. The book argues that resolving these philosophical dilemmas can enhance humanity's ability to create a better, wiser world, highlighting the interconnectedness of philosophy and real-world problems.

This book explores two major learning challenges: understanding the universe and achieving civilization. While modern science addressed the first issue, the second remains unresolved, leading to global dangers. The author critiques Enlightenment blunders in academia and advocates for reformed educational institutions to help solve current conflicts and problems.

Focusing on the shortcomings of modern philosophy in addressing scientific progress, the author introduces aim-oriented empiricism as a framework to tackle philosophical challenges such as induction and verisimilitude. This approach seeks to provide solutions that traditional logicians have failed to resolve, making it a valuable resource for students of the philosophy of science.

Nicholas Maxwell, an emeritus reader at University College London, explores the intersection of philosophy and education in his work. He emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and the need for a more meaningful approach to knowledge and learning. His insights challenge conventional educational practices, advocating for a system that nurtures creativity and ethical awareness. Through his analysis, he aims to inspire a shift towards a more holistic understanding of education's role in society.

Here is an idea that just might save the world. It is that science, properly understood, provides us with the methodological key to the salvation of humanity. A version of this idea can be found in the works of Karl Popper. Famously, Popper argued that science cannot verify theories but can only refute them, and this is how science makes progress. Scientists are forced to think up something better, and it is this, according to Popper, that drives science forward.But Nicholas Maxwell finds a flaw in this line of argument. Physicists only ever accept theories that are unified – theories that depict the same laws applying to the range of phenomena to which the theory applies – even though many other empirically more successful disunified theories are always available. This means that science makes a questionable assumption about the universe, namely that all disunified theories are false. Without some such presupposition as this, the whole empirical method of science breaks down.By proposing a new conception of scientific methodology, which can be applied to all worthwhile human endeavours with problematic aims, Maxwell argues for a revolution in academic inquiry to help humanity make progress towards a better, more civilized and enlightened world.

"Here is a book that will enthral anyone concerned about ultimate questions - the nature of the universe, the meaning of life, the fate of humanity. It is written in a lively, accessible style, and has original things to say about a number of fundamental issues. The author argues that we need to sever the God-of-Power from the God-of-Value. The first is Einstein's God, the underlying unity in the physical universe that determines how events occur. The second is what is of most value associated with human life - and sentient life more generally. Having cut God in half in this way, the problem then becomes to see how the two halves can be put together again. This is our basic problem: to see how our human world, imbued with meaning and value, can exist and flourish embedded in the physical universe. It is our fundamental philosophical problem, our fundamental problem of knowledge and understanding, and our fundamental practical problem of living - personal, social and global. This book tackles outstanding aspects of this problem, and in doing so throws out startlingly original ideas about science, education, religion, evolutionary theory, free will, quantum theory, and how we should go about tackling impending global crises such as population growth and global warming. It transpires that bringing our basic problem into sharp focus has revolutionary implications. Many aspects of our social and cultural world urgently need to be transformed."--Amazon