In Context #16

Fall 2006

View complete In Context #16 as PDF

Feature Articles

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“The Other End of the Cow”
By Judith Madey
A young woman who has worked with cows for ten years tries to discipline her observation of these familiar — or not so familiar? — animals. This is her student paper presented at the conclusion of the spring 2006 Goethean Science course at The Nature Institute.

“Can We See with Fresh Eyes: Beyond a Culture of Abstraction”
By Craig Holdrege
Can we gain our scientific concepts through openness to the world instead of imposing them on the world? It’s the difference between a living thinking that respects the phenomena, on one hand, and a habitual thinking that cuts us off from the phenomena, on the other. By looking at the plant world we can begin to appreciate the nature of living thinking.

Notes and Reviews

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“Light and Objects”
By Martin Wagenschein
A German physicist and educator tries to capture an experience of light in the simple yet profound terms that can enliven the understanding of a child. You will find here also a brief introduction to the life and work of Martin Wagenschein.

“Direct Experience”
By Ronald H. Brady
Can our sense experience be educated and trusted? If not, what is science based upon? Philosopher Ronald Brady explores the relation between sense experience and knowing along lines you almost certainly never encountered in school. This article is excerpted from a longer essay that forms Chapter 1 of a book we have made available online. The book is called Being on Earth: Practice In Tending the Appearances.