The Comprehensive Legacy of Michael Polanyi

Dwelling In and Breaking Out

Edited By: Walter B. Gulick, Paul Lewis

£67.99

Michael Polanyi’s exemplary insights took him from physical chemistry to philosophy. The articles in this book build upon his broad-based thought in ways fitting today, interpreting his work and reflecting on its rich possibilities for further development.

Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) was a curious man driven to understand most everything that came to his attention. His work experience and exemplary insights took him…

Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) was a curious man driven to understand most everything that came to his attention. His work experience and exemplary insights took him from medicine to physical chemistry and ultimately to the social sciences and philosophy. His latter move was made in response to such disasters as the world wars, the depression, and the rise of totalitarian regimes. The creative approach he employed for scientific discovery greatly influenced his subsequent work.
Because the social and cultural context has changed in the 75 years since his death, the articles in this book seek to identify and build upon his broad-based insights in ways that are fitting today. Thus, the book is divided into a section that, in Polanyian terms, dwells in and interprets his thought and a section that, while rooted in his thought, breaks out of it to reflect on its rich possibilities for further development.

Walter B. Gulick is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Humanities, and Religious Studies at Montana State University Billings, USA. He served for 25 years as the book review editor of Tradition and Discovery: The Polanyi Society Periodical and is author/editor of Recovering Truths: A Comprehensive Anthology of Michael Polanyi’s Writings available through the Polanyi Society website. Gulick is also author of The Landscape of Meaning, a forthcoming book on existential meaning inspired by Polanyi’s thought.

Paul Lewis is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religion at Mercer University in Macon, GA, USA. A member of the Polanyi Society since 1991, he has served as Board Member, Vice President, and editor of Tradition and Discovery: The Polanyi Society Periodical from 2012-2024. He has published two books on Christian ethics: Wisdom Calls: The Moral Story of the Hebrew Bible and Faithful Innovation: The Rule of God and a Christian Practical Wisdom.

Jon Fennell, Walter B. Gulick, R. Melvin Keiser, Paul Lewis, Esther Meek, Richard Moodey, Phil Mullins, Philip Rolnick, Timothy L. Simpson, Andrew Steiger, Stephen Turner, Andrea Wells, Diane Yeager