Customer Reviews

The Discovery of Time

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This is a splendid and stimulating book of intellectual history. Do not be put off by its awkward title. The book describes the historical relationship between scientific discovery and knowledge, on one hand, and philosophic thought, starting with Socrates and Aristotle, on the other hand. The book relates the gradual realization (which is the "discovery" in the book's title) through scientific advances in a variety of fields that the natural world's origins are ancient, and have a far longer developmental history (which is the "time" in the title) than had been imagined. It describes how these advances have impacted philosophic, theological, and historical thought, which had until surprisingly recently generally accepted the belief that the world was a few thousand years old.
The authors discuss philosophical thinking (e.g., Descartes or Kant) on the origins of the natural world as that thinking evolved, as well as the discoveries and thinking of various scientists (e.g., Linnaeus or Darwin) during comparable periods. Pertinent writings of contemporaneous thinkers (e.g., Francis Bacon or Alexander Pope) are used to illustrate the broader intellectual impacts of philosophical and scientific trends as they evolved.
The book is clearly written and organized, and while it was published in 1965, that does not in the slightest diminish its relevance or value.

Surely one of the most thoughtful books this retired geologist has read in over 70 years of living. An intellectual feast, yet written for everyone's understanding. Among my top 10 recommended books for all.