Floyd W. Matson "The Broken Image; Man, Science and Society."
Matson's book is a brilliant synthesis. I've referred to it for fifty years. Its suppositions and discussion more relevant in an AI, virtual world than ever before.
This book provides an introduction to advances in thought and science throughout history and the significance of such movements to our time. Although first published in 1964, the value of its information is not impacted by date. The presentation does not secure itself to an era, rather it provides an overview with an incredible amount of perspectives included.
There are three parts to the book. In the first "The Great Machine" Manson surveys the main trends in contemporary behavioral American science and finds them sadly wanting.
Indeed he concludes that behavioral science starts up with denying man and ends up by destroying him - by making him the “broken image.”
In the second part (under a rather unfortunate and ugly heading - "Humanization" Matson agues that the dominat schools of behavioral science actually apply an outmoded concept of 19th century mechanics, and that the main trends in today's behavioral natural sciences lead to approaches entirely different from those consider scientific by the behavioral scientist.
Hardcover with DJ. 1964.
Used book. Very light pencil underlining and margin notes on a few pages. A couple of tiny tears on DJ. Otherwise, very good, nice and clean.