Structure in Science and Art

Author: Pan (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Bridges and buildings, DNA and the periodic table, animals and plants, machines and circuits, humans and society, ideas and concepts—let us understand all of this as specific structures. They constitute the world, and equally, they constitute our experience of the world. However, whether organic or inorganic, whether natural or man-made, only structure is a more precise concept. As a concept, structure originated in the birth of Western philosophy and science. If we lose the relevance of structure, our situation might resemble that of Lewis Carroll's elephants. In the eight essays collected in this book, the observation of structure runs throughout. The articles highlight the permeability, complexity, and diversity of structure in various disciplines. The author adeptly employs both single and composite structures. To some extent, this use can be seen as a gap between the two; a single concept lacking a certain structure or framework makes it difficult to clarify matters. However, the connection of single structures leads to the emergence of potentially infinite diversified structures. This is where the meaning lies.