Writing the Future edited by David Rothenberg and Wandee J. Pryor, MIT Press, 拢19.95/$29.95, ISBN 0262182351 Reviewed by Elizabeth Sourbut
HUMANS and the world evolve together, but do we really progress? With the increasing ability of science to influence genetics and the environment this is an urgent question. Terra Nova books attempt to bridge the gap between science and the arts by illuminating the cultural and artistic aspects of scientific ideas. Writing the Future considers evolution and asks whether natural selection has anything at all to do with physical or moral progress.
Evolution is shown to be hard science, not social construction, and the subtleties of natural selection are brought out in the case of the peppered moth. The philosophy of moral progress is discussed, and a series of essays, fiction and memoirs illustrate human adaptability and our connection to nature. The strength of these pieces lies in their powerful sense of place, binding diverse human activities to their natural context.
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Complex questions deserve complex answers, and this blending of art, science and philosophy succeeds very well in encouraging the reader to think in broad terms about a timely and important subject.