Our War on Ourselves: Rethinking Science, Technology, and Economic Growth by Wil

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Willem H. Vanderburg's Our War on Ourselves explores the type of war we have unleashed on our lives by emphasizing discipline-based processes.

FORMATHardcover LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Our approach to knowing and doing is based on delegating physical phenomena to physicists, biological phenomena to biologists, social phenomena to sociologists, economic phenomena to economists, and so on. This approach to knowledge and practice works very well when one category of phenomena dominates (as in mechanical and technical systems), but does not work when many categories of phenomena make significant contributions (as in the biological and cultural spheres). As a result, our civilization succeeds in its scientific and technical endeavours yet fails in dealing with communities and ecosystems.Following his groundbreaking Labyrinth of Technology and Living in the Labyrinth of Technology, Willem H. Vanderburg's Our War on Ourselves explores the type of war we have unleashed on our lives by emphasizing discipline-based processes. The work also illuminates how we can achieve a more balanced, livable, and sustainable future by combining technical and cultural perspectives in our educational and institutional settings.

Notes

'Astounding, urgent, and highly accessible, Our War on Ourselves takes its place rightly alongside other crucial texts about what it is to live (or try to) in our world. This greatly important book lays bare the many difficulties we face living in a society organized for, by, and around technology, then provides the solutions we will need if we want to regain our lives. Willem H. Vanderburg writes with the passion and clarity of the very best scholarship, bringing together deep insights on politics, economics, high technology, and spirituality in a manner that few writers can. Our War on Ourselves clearly represents an enormous investment of thought, care, and love for the world, and it will be read by professionals from all disciplines, as well as citizens who truly care about our planet and its inhabitants.' -- Tim Blackmore, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario 'A major and highly original contribution to the social sciences, Our War on Ourselves is also important from an experiential standpoint. Using the best general theory of culture that we have, Willem H. Vanderburg tackles the most pressing existential problem of our time - the loss of meaning and the collapse of cultural unity. This book should appeal to all serious readers and everyone in academic life, especially those who have begun to question our terminal overspecialization.' -- Richard Stivers, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Illinois State University

Author Biography

Willem H. Vanderburg has taught preventive engineering, sociology, and environmental studies at the Centre for Technology and Social Development at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Preface Introduction A CIVILIZATION OF NON-SENSE?Failure to Connect the Dots? Science as Biased Knowing Technology as Biased Doing Opposing BiasesSome ConsequencesWhere Do We Go From Here?How We Shall ProceedChapter 1SYMBOLIZATION: GETTING IN TOUCH WITH OURSELVES AND THE WORLD Living a LifeBabies Getting in Touch with Themselves and the World Words as SignsLanguage and OrderThe Self and Cultural Order The True and the RealMyths and the TrueThe True, the Other, and Myself Chapter 2DESYMBOLIZATION: LOSING TOUCH WITH OURSELVES AND THE WORLD Undermining Symbolization Television as an Introduction to What Is Real Computers as the Playground of What Is Real High School Science as the Imagination of What Is Real The Emerging Order of What Is Real Chapter 3COLLIDING ORDERS AND THE TRIUMPH OF THE REAL Re-engineering a Symbolic SpeciesThe Emerging Technological OrderA Growing Dependence on Matter and Energy The Emerging Economic OrderDesymbolizing the Cultural OrderMaking the Collision Liveable Chapter 4THE TRIUMPH OF THE TECHNICAL ORDER OVER CULTURAL ORDERS Symbolization and TraditionsDesymbolization and Tradition-Based Knowing and Doing Rationality within CultureTechnique within CultureThe Economy within the Technical OrderPossessed by New MythsThe University as a Bridgehead? Chapter 5 DESYMBOLIZATION AND RESYMBOLIZATIONIs Resymbolization Possible? A Starting Point Resymbolizing Economics Resymbolizing the Social Sciences Resymbolizing Engineering Resymbolizing Management Resymbolizing Medicine Resymbolizing Legal Education Community Colleges Epilogue: Power and Non-power Notes

Review

'Astounding, urgent, and highly accessible, Our War on Ourselves takes its place rightly alongside other crucial texts about what it is to live (or try to) in our world. This greatly important book lays bare the many difficulties we face living in a society organized for, by, and around technology, then provides the solutions we will need if we want to regain our lives. Willem H. Vanderburg writes with the passion and clarity of the very best scholarship, bringing together deep insights on politics, economics, high technology, and spirituality in a manner that few writers can. Our War on Ourselves clearly represents an enormous investment of thought, care, and love for the world, and it will be read by professionals from all disciplines, as well as citizens who truly care about our planet and its inhabitants.'--Tim Blackmore, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario'A major and highly original contribution to the social sciences, Our War on Ourselves is also important from an experiential standpoint. Using the best general theory of culture that we have, Willem H. Vanderburg tackles the most pressing existential problem of our time - the loss of meaning and the collapse of cultural unity. This book should appeal to all serious readers and everyone in academic life, especially those who have begun to question our terminal overspecialization.'--Richard Stivers, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Illinois State University

Promotional

'A major and highly original contribution to the social sciences, Our War on Ourselves is also important from an experiential standpoint. Using the best general theory of culture that we have, Willem H. Vanderburg tackles the most pressing existential problem of our time - the loss of meaning and the collapse of cultural unity. This book should appeal to all serious readers and everyone in academic life, especially those who have begun to question our terminal overspecialization.' -- Richard Stivers, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Illinois State University 'Astounding, urgent, and highly accessible, Our War on Ourselves takes its place rightly alongside other crucial texts about what it is to live (or try to) in our world. This greatly important book lays bare the many difficulties we face living in a society organized for, by, and around technology, then provides the solutions we will need if we want to regain our lives. Willem H. Vanderburg writes with the passion and clarity of the very best scholarship, bringing together deep insights on politics, economics, high technology, and spirituality in a manner that few writers can. Our War on Ourselves clearly represents an enormous investment of thought, care, and love for the world, and it will be read by professionals from all disciplines, as well as citizens who truly care about our planet and its inhabitants.' -- Tim Blackmore, Faculty of Information and Media Studies, University of Western Ontario

Long Description

Our approach to knowing and doing is based on delegating physical phenomena to physicists, biological phenomena to biologists, social phenomena to sociologists, economic phenomena to economists, and so on. This approach to knowledge and practice works very well when one category of phenomena dominates (as in mechanical and technical systems), but does not work when many categories of phenomena make significant contributions (as in the biological and cultural spheres). As a result, our civilization succeeds in its scientific and technical endeavours yet fails in dealing with communities and ecosystems. Following his groundbreaking Labyrinth of Technology and Living in the Labyrinth of Technology, Willem H. Vanderburg's Our War on Ourselves explores the type of war we have unleashed on our lives by emphasizing discipline-based processes. The work also illuminates how we can achieve a more balanced, livable, and sustainable future by combining technical and cultural perspectives in our educational and institutional settings.

Details ISBN1442644389 Author Willem H. Vanderburg Pages 400 Publisher University of Toronto Press ISBN-10 1442644389 ISBN-13 9781442644380 Format Hardcover Imprint University of Toronto Press Subtitle Rethinking Science, Technology, and Economic Growth Place of Publication Toronto Country of Publication Canada Illustrations 2 Tables Short Title OUR WAR ON OURSELVES Language English Media Book Residence US Year 2011 Publication Date 2011-11-19 UK Release Date 2011-11-19 Alternative 9781442612617 DEWEY 303.483 Audience Professional & Vocational AU Release Date 2011-11-20 We've got this

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