Preview
  • The Science Delusion

  • Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers
  • By: Curtis White
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Hogan
  • Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (18 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Science Delusion

By: Curtis White
Narrated by: Jonathan Hogan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.17

Buy for $11.17

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

One of our most brilliant social critics - author of the best-selling The Middle Mind - presents a scathing critique of the "delusions" of science alongside a rousing defense of the tradition of Romanticism and the "big" questions. With the rise of religion critics such as Richard Dawkins, and of pseudo-science advocates such as Malcolm Gladwell and Jonah Lehrer, you' re likely to become a subject of ridicule if you wonder "Why is there something instead of nothing?" or "What is our purpose on Earth?" Instead, at universities around the world, and in the general cultural milieu, we' re all being taught that science can resolve all questions without the help of philosophy, politics, or the humanities. In short, the rich philosophical debates of the 19th century have been nearly totally abandoned, argues critic Curtis White. An atheist himself, White nonetheless calls this new turn "scientism" - and fears what it will do to our culture if allowed to flourish without challenge. In fact, in "scientism" White sees a new religion with many unexamined assumptions. In this brilliant multi-part critique, he aims at a TED talk by a distinguished neuroscientist in which we are told that human thought is merely the product of our "connectome," a map of neural connections in the brain that is yet to be fully understood.... He whips a widely respected physicist who argues that our new understanding of the origins of the universe obviates any philosophical inquiry...and ends with a learned defense of the tradition of Romanticism, which White believes our technology and science-obsessed world desperately needs to rediscover. It' s the only way, he argues, that we can see our world clearly...and change it.

©2013 Curtis White (P)2014 Recorded Books
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about The Science Delusion

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Rambling non sequiturs

If you like rambling non sequiturs, weaved together by lengthy quotations from obscure references about what other people have said about disparate topics, in a feeble attempt to further a vague thesis, a thesis which purports to be about science but, but is actually more about romanticism, and which does so with poor scientific rigor, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a reasoned inquiry into science's faults, you won't find it here. Narrator was good though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Lacking Self Awareness

Replace the word science with art and the word scientist with artist. Every critique within this book applies equally to art. The author would like to pretend as if art is rebellious by its nature speaking truth to power if you will. What’s hilarious about this statement is art is often used as propaganda to control the populace just like science. The book is filled with nothing but sophistry platitudes and logical fallacies. Curtis should stick to writing fiction and leave the criticism to people who actually know what they’re talking about.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars

Intellectually lazy

White has done his research. That is what makes his blatant straw-men arguments so unforgivable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful