The Future Of The Sciences And Humanities: Four Analytical Essays and a Critical Debate on the Future of Scholastic Endeavour - Tapa blanda

The arts and sciences evolve by specialisation and broadening of their scopes. Much innovation results from unusual combinations of views and techniques originating in widely different domains. However, stepping outside an established discipline entails the danger of 'shallowness', even if the primary challenge was a 'deep' integration problem. Acceptance of new departures requires recognition and understanding of what is involved, and this depends, among other things, on the adopted nomenclature of the insiders and the resulting perception by outsiders.Thus, current ways of referring to varieties of research and study - say, 'sciences' vs 'humanities' - often form obstacles to the appreciation of novel approaches. New views are necessary. But which angles must be considered?

Ter gelegenheid van haar 250-jarig bestaan organiseerde de Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (opgericht in 1752) in 2001 een Prijsvraag met als onderwerp The Future of the Sciences and Humanities. Deelnemers werd gevraagd hun licht te laten schijnen over de toekomst van de Wetenschap, vooral vanwege de steeds verdere verbreding en wederzij