Ancient Wisdom and Modern Misconceptions

Ancient Wisdom and Modern Misconceptions: A Critique of Contemporary Scientism 

Fourth Edition

In this penetrating work, Wolfgang Smith shows how the physical sciences, once freed from spurious epistemic presuppositions, in fact corroborate a traditional wisdom long believed to be obsolete. Presenting the reader with perennial truths which have been unjustly eclipsed since the Enlightenment, Dr. Smith demonstrates that ancient cosmology—so far from being disqualified—actually provides the key to a deeper understanding of the discoveries of modern science. No one entering the fray of current debates regarding “science and religion” can afford to neglect the immense implications of this book.

“Wolfgang Smith [reminds us of] primary truths with the authority of a recognized scientist and the resources of his broad philosophic and religious culture.”
—Jean Borella, from the Foreword

About the Author
Wolfgang Smith graduated from Cornell at age eighteen with majors in physics, mathematics, and philosophy. He subsequently contributed a theoretical solution to the re-entry problem for space flight. After taking his doctorate in mathematics at Columbia, he served for thirty years as professor of mathematics at M.I.T., U.C.L.A., and Oregon State University. Smith then devoted himself to correcting the fallacies of scientistic belief, focusing on foundational problems pertaining to quantum theory and visual perception by way of the traditional tripartite cosmology.