"But in sharp contrast to all this, the traditional
Enlightenment has sought to apply generalized
scientific method, not to social life, but merely to
social science! Instead of helping humanity learn how
to become more civilized by rational means, the
traditional Enlightenment has sought merely to help
social scientists improve knowledge of social
phenomena. The outcome is that today academic inquiry
devotes itself to acquiring knowledge of natural and
social phenomena, but does not attempt to help
humanity learn how to become more civilized. This is
the blunder that is at the root of our current failure
to have solved the second great problem of learning
[19]."
- Can Humanity Learn to become Civilized?
The Crisis of Science without Civilization
(Published in Journal of Applied Philosophy 17,
2000, 29-44.)
Nicholas Maxwell
Emeritus Reader in Philosophy of Science at
University College
London
So, are people to learn what is and do nothing
about it? To observe, but think they do not
participate with what they observe. It seems to be a
question of when do we step in and when do we let go.
I find practicing balance to be helpful in making
balanced decisions, but when dealing with decisions
that are intellectually challenging, in other words,
involve more complex senarios to weigh against each
other, the decision making task may not always come to
the ideal conclusion. Sometimes the answer is, this
is the best we can do with what tools we have.
SA
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