A Chaos of Delight: Science, Religion and Myth and the Shaping of Western Thought [Paperback]

Geoffrey Dobson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1845530195 | ISBN-13: 978-1845530198 | Publication Date: July 2005

A Chaos of Delight is a comprehensive guided tour into the succession of ways human beings have constructed order and meaning about the world, and their place in it. The book examines how various cultures, from the early Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks to contemporary Western society, have looked at the same phenomena and devised totally different worldviews, ranging from deep mythopoeic supernatural reflections to purely physical ones. One unifying feature that stands out above all others as the most certain thing about human knowledge in general, and science, religion or myth in particular, is its uncertainty. From a cross-cultural perspective, one's religious views are framed by articles of faith derived from history, and within their highly prescribed boundaries, there exists a system that is just as dynamic as modern-day science. In profoundly subtle ways, the journey challenges the reader to confront their own worldview, and to better understand its origins and development through the history of ideas. An important lesson for the third millennium is that diversity of opinion is healthy and essential; it is blind acceptance of dogma that impedes understanding and progress.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Breathtaking in its daring. A highly erudite summary of belief systems and an eminently accessible history of science.' -- Sir Gustav Nossal

‘Offers a remarkable panorama of the human understanding of the natural and metaphysical world.' -- Professor John Baines, The Oriental Institute, University of Oxford --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Geoffrey P. Dobson is Associate Professor of Physiology and Pharmacology at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. His latest research borrows from animal hibernators and applies their 'tricks' to protect the heart during cardiac surgery. He has written over 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications, is the inventor on 9 patents and is the founding Director of Global Cardiac Solutions Pty. Ltd (GCS), a biotechnology company focused on the arrest and protection of the heart and preservation of tissue and cells.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Equinox Publishing (July 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845530195
• ISBN-13: 978-1845530198
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,662,606 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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