Table Of ContentLeaving Us to
Wonder
SUNY series in Philosophy and Biology
David Edward Shaner, Editor
Leaving Us to
Wonder
An Essay on the Questions
Science Can’t Ask
Linda Wiener
and
Ramsey Eric Ramsey
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2005 State University of New York
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wiener, Linda, 1957–
Leaving us to wonder : an essay on the questions science can’t
ask / Linda Wiener and Ramsey Eric Ramsey.
p. cm. — (SUNY series in philosophy and biology)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-7914-6313-3 (alk. paper) —ISBN 0-7914-6314-1 (pbk. :
alk. paper)
1. Philosophy and science. I. Ramsey, Ramsey Eric, 1960–
II. Title. III. Series.
B67.W54 2005
501—dc22 2004048161
10987654321
1
Contents
Preface vii
Chapter One: A Place to Begin 1
Curiosity and Wonder 1
A Place to Begin 3
Mistaking the Abstract for the Concrete 5
Today’s Popular Science 10
The Spirit of Socrates 17
Chapter Two: The Persistence of a Question 21
Some Background Questions 21
Kant and the Enlightenment 26
The Emergence of Evolutionary Theory 30
The Promotion of Human Sociobiology 33
Chapter Three: What Darwin and Nietzsche Saw 45
Some Background on Darwin and Nietzsche 45
Darwin’s Descent of Man: The Evolution
of Morality 50
Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morals: The Evolution
of (A Different) Morality 56
Nietzsche’s Differences with Darwin 70
Chapter Four: Provoking Thought 77
Heidegger and the Distinction between Ways of
Thinking 78
Merleau-Ponty and the Importance of Embodied
Experience 87
vi Leaving Us to Wonder
Chapter Five: The Limits of Science and the
Danger of Scientism: Drawing Out the
Consequences for Thinking 101
Faces that Launched a Thousand Web Site Hits 105
A More Serious Concern 108
Chapter Six: Leaving Us to Wonder 117
The Difficulty Begins Here 117
Thinking Beyond and Otherwise 120
Turning to the Public Sphere 122
Desire for Public Dialogue 133
Leaving Us to Wonder 137
Notes 141
Bibliography 153
Index 161
1
Preface
This all began before we met, of course. One of us trained in
biology and the other in philosophy. It is likely if we were both to
have followed the seductions of our initial studies and trainings,
then we would in all likelihood have been enemies in today’s so-
called science wars. As it stands we both set out on paths diverging
from those original beginnings and today we share a similar set of
concerns that make us allies. Granted, in this case the allying is
made possible in large part by the biologist becoming a philoso-
pher as well. Be that as it may, this is not a joining of forces in
favor of one camp or the other. Since our first meeting under the
auspices of the Ometeca Institute—which seeks to bring together
those persons practicing in the sciences and the humanities—we
have attempted to create a philosophical way of life together. That
is to say, by cultivating friendship through meditating on ques-
tions of living well in an epoch whose major manner of being is
techno-scientific, together we have fostered an ongoing dialogue.
We are not so bold as to think that our friendship nor this
collaboration will bring anything like a peace settlement to the
science wars, yet we are hopeful that the practice of dialogue
rather than mere polemics might be a real, even if small, contri-
bution to something worth pursuing.
Along with Ometeca’s founding members and its director
Dr. Rafael Català, others interested in such collaborations have
made opportunities for us to present aspects of our work to other
interested persons. A presentation at Harvard University’s Depart-
ment of Botany was made possible by Peter Stephens. The event
was attended by a number of Harvard biologists and their stu-
dents. According to their reports, both groups found the work
novel and engaging. Perhaps most important, the younger scien-
tists in attendance were pleased that many of their persisting
vii
viii Preface
questions (but ones left unaddressed by their scientific training)
found expression in our work. Many of these students believed
our approaches to the questions allowed them to pursue rather
than ignore their fundamental concerns.
Yael Lubin of Ben Gurion University, Israel arranged for an
important discussion of the work. As with the other scientific
venues, this event was attended by members of the scientific com-
munity and others working at Ben Gurion’s field station in Sde
Boqer. Again many found the debate as we put it forward a
significant and cogent challenge to mainstream thinking about
science, determinism, and public life.
In a similar vein, few of the scientists working in the Genetic
Research Group at Los Alamos National Laboratories came with
any sympathies for our position. Nonetheless, in the lengthy dis-
cussion that followed many found themselves dealing with famil-
iar topics in new ways because of the position we advanced. It is
safe to say no minds were changed on this day, but habitual ways
of understanding the issues where indeed challenged. Moreover,
we learned much from having to address their many concerns.
Philosophers Martin Beck-Matustik and Patricia Huntington
made possible a public reading of a version of our final chapter
at the Center For Theoretical Study, Prague, Czech Republic. The
Center’s working group of scientists and philosophers offered us
many fine insights concerning issues fundamental to the work. We
remain grateful for this wonderful opportunity and for the gener-
ous insights offered to us by all those in attendance.
We thank William Homestead whose reading, late in the pro-
cess, corrected mistakes and forced clarifications of parts of the
position that otherwise would have remained obscure. His fine
suggestions and questions made for a better text despite what faults
might remain. Cynthia Gaffney also gave a valuable reading late in
the process. In addition, Robert W. Jones offered his expertise
concerning the writing and presentation of this project in its many
stages and with respect to its various audiences. At various stages of
the work a number of undergraduates at Arizona State University,
West Campus assisted in the preparation of the manuscript: Jenni-
fer Anderson, Barbara Giles, Carol Marshall, Sohinee Roy, and Daniel
Smith. We also recognize the administrative support of Dawn Poh.
We are thankful for the good work of Liz Marini who prepared the
bibliography and the index. In securing the cover art, Charles Lee
Mudd’s expertise was invaluable.
Preface ix
The project has benefited immensely from the flawless guid-
ance of Jane Bunker, our editor at SUNY Press. Her belief in this
project breathed new life into it when doubts about it hung heavy
in the air. In addition to Ms. Bunker’s support, the production of
the text was overseen by Diane Ganeles with patience and care.
RER would like to acknowledge his gratitude to and for the
friendship of Heidi Bostic, Richard Dienst, and Stephen Pluhacek
who make a cell of resistance a living reality. Furthermore, he knows
that this work would not have been possible without Diane Gruber
whose being-there-with is a beautiful sharing of everything that
matters. The vastness of her contributions cannot be calculated.
