Science, Folklore, and Philosophy (review)

356 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY senses would not, in fact, have this type of argument to rely upon if, from the outset, he were to interpret the facts which he cites in subjectivistic terms" (p. 128). Such a conclusion is incredible if it is a prohibition of Hume's reductio ad absurdum. Hume's denial of 2 is not a denial of A, only a rejection of certain philosophical accounts or analyses of A. Berkeley, for one, thought it a major advantage of his philosophy that on his characterization of presented entities and the lawful connections among them, he could provide a non-contradictory analysis of the states of affairs to which A, as well as B, "The oar is really straight," apply. Hume's position is more skeptical ; nevertheless, he thought he could establish his description of how the imagination produces belief in A and B. It may be the case that one cannot disprove naive realism by arguing from perceptual illusion or incongruity, but it is far from being the case that one who employs it is a critical realist in spite of himself. PHILLIP D. CUMMINS University o] Iowa Science, Folklore, and Philosophy. By Harry Girvetz, George Geiger, Harold I-Iant~, and Bertram Morris. (New York : Harper & Row, 1966. Pp. xi[i] § 547.) Here is a different and exciting introduction to philosophical criticism and to the hi~tory of such criticism. It is not a history of philosophy, but it is a brilliant use of this history to show, as a matter of fact, by historical evidence, how philosophical criticism is related to folklore on the one hand and to science on the other. To say, as is said here, that philosophy has the function of "reconciling" tradition and discovery is to tell only half the truth, for the kind of reconciliation which is philosophical is thoroughly reasonable and serves to reconstruct both. Therefore, to tell the whoIe truth about philosophy, the historical evidence is indispensable, but not the who~e history is necessary. The result of this insight, which the four authors share, is that this work presents philosophizing actually at work on the various problems which various folklores and sciences have presented to it. Thus, to be in the presence of philosophy as a living concern about two different aspects of human culture makes this volume exceptionally lively reading. The authors had the good judgment to select four major crises in human experience to give their story classic proportions: (l) the Greece of Plato and Aristotle; (2) the scientific discoveries of the ITth century; (3) Darwinian biology; and (4) ~he contemporary social crisis. The interaction of tradition, invention, and criticism during these great turning points in human experience and institutions gives the reader both exciting history and serious reflection. In short, this is an admirable educational tool and fine art; it is also a difficult task. To illustrate the spirit of intellectual excitement that animates the work, I quote a few paragraphs from Part II, written by Bertram Morris and his friend Francis Bacon : In different ways both Bacon and Descartes evolved conceptions of science and explained at length what they took to be the meaning of science. In a sense, we can say that each of them made long dialogues between philosophy and science, each in his own way attempting to show what the significance of science is. Moreover, each of these philosophers so penetrated the inner powers of science that each still has relevant words to say to us today. Bacon had the more practical turn of mind. He was not, however, narrowly practical. Rather, he was concerned with the purposes philosophy and science could have for mankind (p. 167). The new science without doubt upset the complacent acceptance of the received learning. The question was not whether the new science could be assimilated to the philosophy of the schoolmen ; clearly it could, even though the assimilation would require some major modifications of received doctrine. The real question was whether such assimilation could capture the essentials of the new science--its buoyancy, its adventuresomeness, its ecstasies in endlessly making new discoveries, and above all the new power it was giving to men in their conquest...