An International Encyclopedia of the Unified Sciences

Abstract

From the point of view of scientific empiricism, one can say that the notion of “encyclopedia” rather than “system” offers us the correct model of science taken as a whole. In the spirit of scientific empiricism, the Mundaneum Institute of The Hague is preparing an International Encyclopedia of the Unified Sciences which is intended to serve as a compliment to existing encyclopedias. The best encyclopedias of our time present each of the branches of knowledge in a vast tableau wherein recognized specialists show what has been achieved and what one should make of these results. In proportion to their development, different disciplines have elaborated distinct scientific languages making it difficult today to find the points of contact between them. Certain eminent thinkers continue to accentuate and underline these differences. However, from the point of view of scientific empiricism it must be emphasized that it is possible to alleviate this plurality of languages and that bridges can be built between the sciences. Today, either insufficient attention is paid to such bridges or, just as likely, they do not yet exist. It is precisely this matter that the International Congress for the Unity of Science met to address when it was held for the first time in Paris in 1935 with scientific philosophy as its main theme.