Waubonsee Community College

The hope and vision of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Michael A. Day (Lebanon Valley College, USA)

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

individual biography

index present

non fiction

The hope and vision of J. Robert Oppenheimer

bibliography

929829144

Michael A. Day (Lebanon Valley College, USA)

This book explores the life and thought of J. Robert Oppenheimer. It recovers and reconstructs what Oppenheimer said and wrote during the 1940s, 50s and 60s (i.e., his hope and vision) with the goal of identifying what might be of general philosophical interest today. It considers not only Oppenheimer's thought, but also his life using philosophical ideas developed by contemporary philosophers. In addition, to deepen and broaden the discussion and demonstrate the relevance of Oppenheimer's vision for the present, the author analyzes Oppenheimer's views using contemporary international relations theory with a special emphasis on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament. This examination reveals ways in which Oppenheimer's reasoning was prescient of current work being carried out to control, and possibly move beyond, the nuclear revolution

Introduction -- Oppenheimer's hope and vision 1957-1959 -- MacLeish, Oppenheimer, and "The Conquest of America" -- Rabi, Oppenheimer, and the universal culture of science background -- International control of atomic energy -- Complementarity in atomic physics -- Oppenheimer - philosophical exploration I -- Oppenheimer- philosophical exploration II -- Oppenheimer and international relations -- Oppenheimer and the nuclear revolution