Reflections on Trees of Knowledge

Abstract

On September 30th I attended a talk by Ian Hacking, the renowned philosopher of science. The topic, “The Tree of Knowledge,” was irresistible for someone like myself whose main interest is in sociocultural evolution. I was rewarded with a dazzling display of erudition about (and beautiful pictures of) stylized trees drawn through history and across civilizations. Hacking generously credited the many experts he had consulted to amass this treasure. This was consistent with his preference for “collaborating disciplines” over interdisciplinarity...