Blog Watch: WB on reductionism

In Haught Pursuit: Too Much Information.

Mr. Berry says that man thrives on mystery, and knowing everything about something not only destroys mystery, it can lead to even worse consequences. Mr. Berry says,

"For quite a while it has been possible for a free and thoughtful person to see that to treat life as mechanical or predictable or understandable is to reduce it. Now, almost suddenly, it is becoming clear that to reduce life to the scope of our understanding (whatever "model" we use) is inevitably to enslave it, make property of it, and put it up for sale.

This is to give up on life, to carry it beyond change and redemption and to increase the proximity of despair." READ MORE ...