Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
Abstract
In this groundbreaking new book, one of the world's greatest living scientists argues for the fundamental unity of all knowledge and the need to search for what he calls consilience, the composition of the principles governing every branch of learning. Edward O Wilson, the pioneer of sociobiology and biodiversity, once again breaks out of the conventions of current thinking. He shows how our explosive rise in intellectual mastery of the truths of our universe has its roots in the ancient Greek concept of an intrinsic orderliness that governs our cosmos. It is a vision that found its apogee in the Age of Enlightenment, then gradually was lost in the increasing fragmentation and specialisation of knowledge in the last two centuries. Professor Wilson shows why the goals of the original Enlightenment are surging back to life, why they are reappearing on the very frontiers of science and human scholarship, and how they are beginning to sketch themselves as the blueprint of our world.
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- Authors
- Wilson, E. O.
- Corresponding author
- Edward O. Wilson
- Venue
- Choice Reviews Online
- Publisher
- American Library Association
- Published
- 1999-07-01
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 36-6078-36-6078
- ISSN
- 0009-4978 (ISSN-L)
- 1523-8253
- OpenAlex
- W1576372720
- Cited by
- 2,682
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 62 · 2020: 105 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 75 · 2017: 102 · 2016: 98 · 2015: 105 · 2014: 123 · 2013: 132 · 2012: 138
- Type
- book review
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Choice Reviews Online (publishedVersion)
- ETC.: A Review of General Semantics (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy and History of Science
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Scientific and Historical Analyses
- Keywords
- unity of knowledge, knowledge fragmentation, specialization, Enlightenment, ancient Greek philosophy, interdisciplinary research, Edward O. Wilson, sociobiology, biodiversity
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