The Uncertain Sciences

Our understanding of the natural world, from the tiniest quark to the biggest galaxy, is ever-deepening, even while it seems that our grasp of who we are--our essential humanity--is slipping further and further away. Renowned cultural historian Bruce Mazlish makes the case for advancing the "human sciences" (psychology, philosophy, hermeneutics, and literature) in his masterful yet humble book The Uncertain Sciences. Standing on the shoulders of giants from nearly every field of endeavor, Mazlish seeks a place for us to fit into our schemes of knowledge, to be at one with the objects of our understanding.

Can we develop a science of humanity while avoiding the pitfalls of positivism and postmodernism? Mazlish is optimistic, even ebullient at times, though always practical and keeping an eye on what is possible. Hopeful that our species can transform itself into a "truth community" that values knowledge of self and others more highly than today's culture, he explores what it would mean to merge morality with mathematics, meaning with measurement, into a synthesis by which we might retain both our knowledge and our essence. Mazlish writes that The Uncertain Sciences "is like an orange, to be slowly peeled"--and any book that quotes Faraday, Asimov, and Foucault in the first few pages deserves such a warning, but the careful reader will find the rewards well worth the challenge. --Rob Lightner