Science and the Quest for Reality

Alfred Tauber has compiled sixteen essays that explore the meaning of reality through the lens of modern science.  The essays explore the emergence of modern science from its roots in the medieval search for the purpose of life (see the essay by Alfred North Whitehead on the Origins of Modern Science) and explain the subjective assumptions of modern scientists (see essay by Evelyn Fox Keller on The Paradox of Scientific Subjectivity).  The book is divided into five sections: Part 1 covers Science and its World View; Part 2 addresses the Problem of Scientific Realism; Part 3 explores the Nature of Scientific Change; Part 4 discusses the Boundaries of Science; and Part 5 address Science and Values.

As part of the series Main Trends of the Modern World organized by Arthur Vidich and Robert Jackall, it is clear these essays are designed to interject a sociological perspective onto the analytical methods and assumptions of modern scientists. Indeed, Tauber includes the classic essay by Max Weber, Science as a Vocation, as the final essay of the book. While Jackall and Vidich's "sociological hand" can be felt in the overall direction of this edited book, Tauber should rightly be credited with organizing a unique collection of essays that challenge convention on what is real and what is not.