Bringing Back Truth: Consilience and Ecological Vision in The Log from the Sea of Cortez

This article explores the striking parallels between John Steinbeck's view of ecology and holism described in The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951) and contemporary biologist Edward O. Wilson's work Consilience (1999). A comparison of the biological, philosophical, and theoretical methodology in the two texts demonstrates remarkable similarities. Besides overviewing Steinbeck's early perceptive views of the biological basis of human life and culture, and the importance of interdisciplinary discovery and creation, most importantly, the article shows that in light of Wilson's theory of consilience, TheLog provides a workable theoretical and practical framework for tackling today's looming environmental crisis.