Conatus: REVISED EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

described as the universe being ‘over-determined’ — too many theories to fit the facts.)

The second of the options above — that we have just one theory to fit the facts — is essentially the dream of science. Perhaps this is just not possible. The map is not the territory.

Early on in the book, we noted the difference between necessary and contingent truth. The role of philosophy is to discover absolutely necessary truths. The role of science, arguably, is to accept contingency in our knowledge. Despite this contingency, there is progress in science. There is even progress in philosophy! The ‘official’ truth (scientific, historic and in terms of news-gathering and reporting) is always out there in the background of our societies. We sit on a great mountain of accumulated knowledge — it is best never to forget that!

For physics there are only ‘how’ questions. I’m not so sure however about biology. To suggest that life just spontaneously arises out of inert matter and that consciousness is just an epi-phenomenon of life seems dubious at best. There is a whole universe of experience, intentions and values that are as meaningful, if not more meaningful, to people in living our lives. Humans are conscious, soulful creatures in our personal lives and that, to me, is the reality of being human. There is value and meaning in such a life. For the world of values, ‘why’ questions are paramount — the ‘how’ questions of science are just background.

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