ABSTRACT
The opening quote from anthropologist Richard Shweder sets the frame for this chapter. His premise that ultimate reality is always hidden from us and that we can only construct a tissue of ideas as a working image of truth is one I accept in this book. But it goes against the grain of an absolutist Western science, some exponents of which firmly believe their methods of inquiry will ultimately reveal all that exists in the universe. One of the world’s most respected biologists, Edward O. Wilson, is among them. His recent book Consilience lays out in elaborate detail his own vision of how science will ultimately explain all aspects of human nature, pulling all the disciplines into a single, scientifically-based explanation.1 Over fifty years ago, when training as a scientist, I too held this grand belief as an article of faith. It all seemed so reasonable, so satisfying. Much hard thinking has led me to be more circumspect; some of those thoughts are incorporated in this chapter.
