We can observe the world, and think about our observations, and so gain knowledge of the world. Western civilization, in particular, has in the last 300 years provided us with a powerful means of observing the world, and thinking about it, and acquiring well-tested knowledge of its regularities: I refer to the method of science.
This book is about a particular way of thinking about the world, one which although broadly a part of the science movement, uses some concepts which are complementary to those of classical natural science.
