< Back to Volume 9, Number 4
Volume 9: Number 4: Article 4
A Holistic Aesthetic for Science
Bruce K. Kirchoff, Department of Biology, University of North Carolina
at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27412-5001
All scientific work takes place within a community of specialists who
define what types of studies, evidence and modes of presentation are
accepted as valid. A number of factors influence these decisions. Among
them are tacit assumptions hidden in the language and practice of science.
In recent years, philosophers, historians, linguists and feminist critics
of science have elucidated some of these assumptions. The result has
been a recognition that at least some scientific decisions are made
simply because they "feel right." In other words, science possesses
an aesthetic. After reviewing the evidence for the role of a scientific
aesthetic, I suggest the conscious adoption of a new aesthetic based
on love. Adoption of this aesthetic can lead us to change our relationship
to the phenomena we study. Where Western science has mainly been concerned
with the control of nature, an aesthetic of love can lead to an appreciation
of the wisdom of nature. Instead of searching for causes, a science
based on love can lead to a study of the patterns of phenomena. Within
these patterns no single element is determinative. Rather, the pattern
as a whole determines the role of the individual elements. Traditional
Chinese Medicine serves as a powerful example of the capabilities of
this pattern thinking approach.
To purchase back issues contact Allen Marketing & Management: 1-800-627-0629
