Between Literature And Science

"The theme of this book is the conflict which arose in the early nineteenth century between, on the one hand, the literary and, on the other hand, the scientific intellectuals of Europe, as they competed for recognition as the chief analysts of the new industrial society in which they lived. This conflicts was epitomised by the confrontation between Matthew Arnold and T. H. Huxley, and later in that between F. R. Leavis and C. P. Snow. Sociology was born as the third major discipline, though in many ways it was a hybrid of the literary and the scientific traditions. The social sciences continue, even today, to oscillate between these two traditions. The author chronicles the rise of the new discipline by discussing the lives and work of the most prominent thinkers of the time, in England, France and Germany. These include John Stuart Mill, H. G. Wells, Beatrice and Sidney Webb and T. S. Eliot; Auguste Comte, Charles Peguy, Emile Durkheim; Stefan George, Thomas Mann, Max Weber and Karl Mannheim. At stake was the right to formulate a philosophy of life for contemporary society, and to predict and pre-empt the worst consequences of industrialization. The book presents a penetrating study of idealists grappling with reality, when industrial society was still in its infancy. It will be of interest to those studying sociology and its history as a discipline, but it is equally relevant to other social science subjects which may be said to have arisen at about the same time" -- Back cover.

A Brief History of L&S -- The Science Wars -- Models of Engagement -- Encoding an Infinite Message: Richard Powers's The Gold Bug Variations -- Is That a Coded Message? It May Not Be So Simple! -- Found in Translation -- Entropy as Time's (Double-Headed) Arrow in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia -- Chirality and Life -- Making New Life -- The End of Irony and/or the End of Science?

One of the most contentious questions in contemporary literary studies is whether there can ever be a science of literature that can lay claim to objectivity and universality, for example by concentrating on philological criticism, by appealing to cognitive science, or by exposing the underlying media of literary communication. The present collection of essays seeks to open up this discussion by posing the question’s historical and systematic double: has there been a science of literature, i.e. a mode of presentation and practice of reference in science that owes its coherence to the discourse of literature? Detailed analyses of scientific, literary and philosophical texts show that from the late 18th to the late 19th century science and literature were bound to one another through an intricate web of mutual dependence and distinct yet incalculable difference. The Science of Literature suggests that this legacy continues to shape the relation between literary and scientific discourses inside and outside of academia.

First published in 1954, Literature and Science discusses historically the relationship between science and literature and between scientists and men of letters from the Renaissance onwards. It shows periods when writers were enthusiastic about science as in the early days of the Royal Society and notably through the influence of Newton. Further it explores the later alienation between science and literature in the technological and industrial age. There is a full account of Wordsworth’s crucial relationships to these problems which leads to a number of new conclusions. Apart from his historical survey, Dr. Ifor Evans emphasises the contemporary importance of the relationship of the artist and the scientist and outlines an approach to a new humanism, in which the writer may reach some closer understanding of science than he has at present attained. Students interested in literature, history of literature and critical theory will find this book enlightening.

Starting from the debate between the two cultures, the book analyzes the relationship between literature and science in the last years of the twentieth century in the light of scientific theories which universally underline both their indeterminacy and their lack of universal values (Relativity Theory, Quantum Mechanics, the Uncertainty Principle, Chaos Theory). Scientific theories are echoed in literary texts but also a reverse influence from literature to science has taken place. In his scientific tetralogy John Banville analyzes the figures of those scientists who contributed to a paradigm shift in the world view from the early modernity to the present. His interest is not exclusively focused on epistemology but rather on the creative mind of the scientist. Science appears to follow the same epiphanic creative process as literature in its understanding of, and theorizing upon, an enigmatic sort of reality.

Science and literature have always been strange bedfellows. Like puzzle pieces, they fit because they're different. Some of the greatest works of world literature have been inspired by the marvels of the scientific world. Scientists have written works of the imagination. Even formal scientific writings have been known to employ rhetoric. There is a tendency to think of literature—and the humanities in general—as having little to do with science. Yet scholars have conducted fruitful studies of the history and philosophy of science. With the rise of technology, scholars have also applied scientific analysis to the study of literature and the creative process. The intersection of scientific and humanistic inquiry is finally being mapped. This volume includes more than 650 A-Z entries on topics and themes in science and literature, significant writers, key scientists, seminal works, and important theories and methodologies. This reference defines the rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field of literature and science. An introductory essay traces the history of the field, its growing reputation, and the current state of research. Broad in scope, the volume covers world literature from its beginnings to the present day and illuminates the role of science in literature and literary studies. A wide range of experts contributed entries to this volume, each of which concludes with a brief bibliography. The entire volume closes with a list of works for further reading.