Man's quest for knowledge : scientific endeavour and artistic expression

Abstract

Man's plurimillenial scientific and artistic achievements have fascinated successive generations to date. However, our ever-increasing preference for a utilitarian education based on specialization in every field of scholarship tends to eclipse our genuine and innate desire to rediscover and appreciate these past achievements. This book attempts to redress this utilitarian view of education in favour of a more liberal formation of the individual. It is hoped that this book will interest a wide range of readers such as students who are at their post-secondary level of education, others who are already pursuing a first degree in the Humanities or the Sciences and other readers who spontaneously feel the need to enrich and further expand their cultural notions. Despite the fact that the Sciences and the Arts are usually thought to be incompatible, both can be reviewed within a common historical perspective. It is a known fact that historical develo9ments, new philosophies and ever-evolving technological skills are capable of influencing Man's actions and reactions. The first section of this book focuses upon Man's ques: to discover and understand the laws of nature, so that he may exploit them to full advantage. Man's intrinsic desire to interpret reality, coupled with his search for meaning through artistic endeavour, is the leitmotif of the second section. No a priori specific knowledge of these two main fields of study is required by the prospective reader of this volume. It is hoped that it would entice him to appreciate the achievements of our ancestors who have provided us with a rich compendium of ideas still valid and indispensable for us to understand our own times. It is also the author's aim that this book might serve to promote an interdisciplinary approach and elasticity of mind which are indispensable in our attempt to understand Man's achievements without prejudice.