Rating: 
Summary: Korzybski's Hyper Organum
Review: "Science And Sanity" remains the most important book written in the last century, unread by the majority of people , while not understood by some who have.
Alfred Korzybski, as a result of his experiences came to formulate a system capable of explaining anomalies which Aristotle's 'logic-methodology'(Organon, c.350 B.C.), further Francis Bacon's revision(Novum organum,1620) continue to ignore. For example rediscoveries of non-identity: Heraclitus(c.500 B.C.)- one cannot step into the 'same' river twice; infinite-values(non-dichotomy): Georg Cantor(1874)- finite variables generated between others; non-elementalism: Lao-Tse(c.600 B.C.)- the whole is not the sum of the parts; non-allness: Bertrand Russell(1910)- a proposition about 'all' propositions cannot include itself; hence non-universal: Albert Einstein(1905)- laws are not eternal 'absolute' truths but relative(contextual), hence variable dependent upon method of investigation, otherwise asserted by David Hume(1739)- the 'uniformity' of observation to 'universals', is falsely based on 'habitual association of ideas';etc.
Morpheus when asked 'what is the Matrix'? Replied: "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth". Similarly 'aristotelian-conditionality' codifies 'reality' such that facts become ignored. The 'realities' include the generation of abstractions upon abstractions(for example, use language to speak about language- Josiah Royce 1855-1916, hence self-reflexiveness; but including the non-verbal perceptions, visualizations,etc), the phenomena causal by noumena(thing(s)-in-themselves) the external event(s), of which we confuse assuming as the 'same'. This appears something that Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha) in part realized, for when asked 'what reality was', he simply raised a rose over his head then while smiling said that the rose is forever beyond words.
Korzybski's(1921) Time-binding first introduced in "Manhood Of Humanity", entails the human capacity to improve on the accumulated abstractions of others, then transmitting it for future generations. While the point of Ivan Pavlov's(1906) experiments on 'conditionality', entails that animals can only form 'associations' due to the limits of their nervous systems: an expectancy concerning two 'stimuli' involving a 'response repertoire' dependent upon circumstances- after A.Dickinson(1980) along with N.J.Mackintosh(1983). Such that animals do not time-bind. However when humans 'copy animals in their nervous reactions', such 'identifications'(treating an abstraction, anything, etc., as the 'same' by the ignoring['filtering' out] of facts) lead only to non-survival, delusional unsanity, causal in disrupting the time-binding process. As David Hume(1739) argued, 'associations' are false relations between two events occurring (hence ordered) in spatio-temporal contiguity, 'habitual' because their contingency is not certain. As such Korzybski had realized that Aristotle's paradigm structured 'reality' in terms of 'identifications'.
Apart from the Non-Aristotelian paradigm, Korzybski introduces General Semantics a Science of values (replacing Aristotle's 'elementalistic logic'), concerned with a consciousness of abstractions(free of 'identification(s)') based on an empirical(not a priori) order of evaluation(event(s)-insight-logic) modelled by the Structural Differential, having an equivalence to a theory of sanity(Psycho-logics) involving a human organism-as-a-whole-in-an-environment.
Which Douglas M.Kelley used successfully in the European theatre of World War II on soldiers with psycho-neurotic 'reaction' patterns, which for the most part had developed under combat stress. Reported in a paper, "The Use Of General Semantics And Korzybskian Principles As An Extensional Method Of Group Psychotherapy In Traumatic Neuroses", in "The Journal Of Nervous And Mental Disease", September 1951.
This book therefore not only becomes fundamental for the philosophic-scientific-enterprise-as-a-whole as a time-binding process, it becomes essential even for the 'ordinary person' as an orientation to 'reality'.
As Ted Falconar(2000) puts it: "The Aristotelian thinker is one of the captives of Plato's cave, who think the shadows are reality".
However since this book will create problems in understanding, I suggest you might first read Korzybski's "Manhood Of Humanity", along with Susan with Bruce Kodish's "Drive Yourself Sane".
Rating:
Summary: The Sanity of Science
Review: As the title of the book implies, this work attempts to establish a link between 'science' and 'sanity'. He asserts, among other things; * that science (in particular it's attitude towards knowledge) can provide us with a model for personal relations. * science (in a way) is responsible for almost all our progress while religion (in a way) is responsible for most of our problems * 'science' can be thought of as modern religion and 'religion' can be thought of as primitive science * religious beliefs lead us to wars, conflicts, unsanity, etc. but scientific beliefs lead us cooperation, progress, sanity, etc. The book grew out of his first work (Manhood of Humanity)and talks a great deal about maturing as a race or species and much of his motivation is to prevent human suffering. I would say the formulation of general semantics could eventually do for human relations what relativity did for physics. Count on reading it 2 or 3 times and if you don't understand something just skip it and keep reading. He repeats himself a great deal on purpose because he knew the subject material was difficult at first.
Rating: 
Summary: cult classic
Review: For a taste of the sort of hooey that the intelligentsia has occasionally gobbled up, read this book--or, as one of the other reviewers helpfully suggested, just try to make it through the hilarious sci fi renditions of the same "philosophy" by AE van Vogt. The true wonder is that the cult maintains even ten followers to post five star reviews here.
Rating:
Summary: Ancient Pseudoscience
Review: General Semantics became a fad and a cult back in the 1930's based on this book. Now the book has historical interest only as an example of what the gullible might believe. The main body of the book has never been revised, still exactly the same as it first appeared in 1933. Two quotations can describe this book better than I. "Science and Sanity is filled with unsupportable assertions and not a few errors, some of them extraordinarily naive." (Neil Postman in Conscientious Objections, 1992). Martin Gardner in the Spring 1993 issue of Skeptical Inquirer wrote, "Science and Sanity is a poorly organized, verbose, philosophically naive, repetitious mish-mash of sound ideas borrowed from abler scientists ...... " If you like boredom in written form, along with many pseudoscientific claims, this book might be for you.
Rating:
Summary: Work up to it! - read 'Players of Null-A' & 'I am that' 1st
Review: I am only 50 pages into this book, but having read the other reviews I want to place my advice to prospective buyers on-line, asap. This is a deep and difficult book (this from a man who went up to Oxford University to study physics, has a masters degree in philosophy from the same university, carried out mergers and acquistions of multi-billion dollar companies for J.P. Morgan, was (a sadly often ignored) technical advisor to the Russian government for its programme of privatisation (and Russian privatisation legislation needs to be in a catagory alone for Gordian, byzantine intricacy), and has spent the last seven years reading every major spiritual and religious text in deep solitude and contemplation (oh, how I love to brag!)) - so be warned - I mean DIFFICULT. Luckily, I was guided to it through reading 'Players of Null-A' by A E Van Vogt, which although as a grounding was rather like watching 'You've Got Mail' in an attempt to train as a computer hacker, was at least sufficient for me to see that the struggle is worth continuing. I will not only read this book - I will reread it many times. It is a work of deep-nature, like a gritty, gnarled oak. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS. GENIUS. (One last thing - and I know how annoying spiritual references can be to militant, rationalist empiricists, but what the heck - I feel that in his classic spiritual text 'I am that', Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj is trying to say that the unshakeable realised state that he has achieved is precisely the centre of the spiral of work that Korzybski outlines. Again and again I have been struck by the similarity in their messages (unsurprising, given that REALITY is the ground from which both spring), although again, while hardly an easy book, 'I am that', at the level of my understanding, is as a lucid pool to Korzybski's thrilling but terrifying black abyss.) Buy them all and enjoy! Your life will be completely transformed.
Rating:
Summary: A Life-Changing Book
Review: I first read this book over 25 years ago, and it stunned me. Only a fool or the bitterest cynic could come away from this book unchanged. Whether or not you agree with all or even some of its premises and conclusions, Science and Sanity will make you keenly aware of language, psychology, and communication in all aspects of your life. You will realize how little most people know or understand about the deep and complex role language plays at home and on the world stage. This book will give you a different platform to stand on. Yes, it is a difficult book to read, but like another difficult book, Samuel Hahnemann's timeless Organon of the Medical Art, it rewards the patient and thoughtful reader in countless subtle ways over the course of time. I'd rate this book in my top ten books of a lifetime spent reading everything under the sun.
Rating:
Summary: Science Insanity.
Review: I have read this "greatest work of the 20th Century" as well. Quite frankly, it's garbage. Although "Count" Korzybski makes a few good points, the vast majority of his text is a collection of pseudo-scientific neologisms and circular, self-contradictory arguments based on a meagre understanding of both science and philosophy (in a word, gobbledygook). For example, Korzybski says animals do not have the ability to "time-bind" (i.e., store information) yet in the same breath he speaks of how Pavlov obtained a conditioned response from his dogs(!) At one point Korzybski goes so far as to try to "explain" Einstein's Theory of Relativity(!) If you really want an understanding of semantics, by all means read Language in Thought and Action (by S.I. Hayakawa). Then, after reading Hayakawa, read Kant's Critique of Pure Reason (especially the section known as the Transcendental Aesthetic). Upon doing so, you will have a better understanding of the "psycho-logical" than "Count" Korzybski. Therefore, one star is even too much for "Science Insanity".
Rating:
Summary: Through the Prism
Review: I would first like to say that I read this book at the age of 17 and understood it rather easily; so for me, it was not a difficult book. I would describe it as densely packed, but not particularly difficult. The author has specific instructions on how to read the book -- and even what to do if you don't understand something -- and so if you follow these instructions, you should do fine. One of the fundamental notions presented in Science and Sanity is that we always see the world through the altering prism of our nervous system; that is, we never experience the world directly, but only through the lense of our 'abstractions' (our individual nervous system's responses to the world). When we talk or think, the world is further altered (abstracted) by the language or words we use in dealing with our nervous system's responses. And because in words we can talk or think about the words and thoughts we have used previously, our abstractions can build on previous abstractions, and extend into many orders or iterations. Therefore, because our thoughts and our words are abstractions from what we are thinking or talking about, and because we don't experience the world directly (but only through the prism of our individual nervous systems), there exists an unavoidable element of uncertainty in even our best statements. They are "from our point of view" so to speak, not "the way it is." I think you can see from this discussion that Korzybski was trying to generalize Einstein's and Heisenberg's notions of relativity and uncertainty (in science) to the whole of life in its myriad aspects (and create a system to train us in that attitude). Not only is "beauty in the eye of the beholder," everything is in the eye of the beholder. This does not mean that all abstractions from different people are of equal value in Korzybski's system (though all are relative or somewhat uncertain). He values most the abstractions that have the highest predictive value; the ones that seem to fit the 'facts' of our world the best. And thus his quest to impart the attitudes and values of science in our everyday reactions; for instance, the attitude that says, "I don't know, let's see," one of his favorite expressions. Now, if you find the previous discussion interesting, then I would recommend the book. If you do not find it interesting, then I would not recommend it. But regardless of my recommendation, I would point out that everything I have said here is just a reflection of my individual abstractions or reactions to Science and Sanity; they are not "it." Note that no two reviews (abstractions of the book) at this site are even close to being identical, and some are wildly different. So, in this case, the best use of the "I don't know, let's see" response (if that is an attitude that you would like to cultivate in your life) would be to get the book and see for yourself (make you own abstractions).
Rating:
Summary: A 20th Century Landmark Book
Review: I'll just quote a few of the influential people who liked this book on its publication in 1933. First, E.T. Bell, the noted mathematician, from the California Institute of Technology: "I think it is obvious that Korzybski is working in a direction of the highest present importance for science and life . . bringing to educated people an account of the most significant advance in abstract thought of the past millennium. . . Brouwer challenged one of the laws of Aristotle, Korzybski challenges another." Russell Meyers, the noted neurologist: "The most profound, insightful, and globally significant book I have ever read." Cora L. Williams, mathematician, President of Williams Institute, Berkeley, California: "What Eistein has done for the outer realm of our being, Korzybski is doing for our inner realm. It is hoped that some understanding person will endow a chair for him in the Institute of Advanced Study so that these two lines of research may go on together." C. Judson Herrick, Professor of Neurology, University of Chicago: "Count Korzybski . . . presents a plan for radical revamping of our theory and practice that seems worthy of further trial in a wide variety of fields. . .Adjustments in terms of one dominant motive (or value) are replaced by a broader (many-valued) scheme of motivation which points the way toward personal and social sanity -- a way that I believe is fundamentally correct and practicable." Doctor W. Horsley Gantt, Phipps Psychiatric Institute, the Johns Hopkins Hospital. For Five years, co-worker with Pavlov in Leningrad: "I have read with great interest Count Korzybski's Science and Sanity, and feel that it is very important for science as well as general education and progress of human thinking. It expresses a point of view and a truth that I have not seen stated previously. I was particularly interested in the chapters dealing with conditional reflexes. Korzybski discusses the matter with profound and accurate understanding." P. W. Bridgman, Professor of Physics, Harvard University: "Of late years the realization has been growing that the ultimate source of a large fraction of the difficulties of society, civilization, and science, is verbal in character. Among the few serious attempts to waken full self consciousness of what the situation is, and, having awaked consciousness, to provide a technique by which the vicious consequences of verbal habits may be avoided, I believe that of Count Korzybski must be rated as of the very first importance. I have been acquainted with his work for a number of years; not only do I believe it to be fundamentally sound, but I have always found his points of view most suggestive and stimulating, both in general and technical matters, and I have been amazed at the breadth of his interests and reading, and the diversity of the fields to which applications are made."
Rating:
Summary: A 20th Century Landmark Book
Review: I'll just quote a few of the influential people who liked this book on its publication in 1933. First, E.T. Bell, the noted mathematician, from the California Institute of Technology: "I think it is obvious that Korzybski is working in a direction of the highest present importance for science and life . . bringing to educated people an account of the most significant advance in abstract thought of the past millennium. . . Brouwer challenged one of the laws of Aristotle, Korzybski challenges another." Russell Meyers, the noted neurologist: "The most profound, insightful, and globally significant book I have ever read." Cora L. Williams, mathematician, President of Williams Institute, Berkeley, California: "What Eistein has done for the outer realm of our being, Korzybski is doing for our inner realm. It is hoped that some understanding person will endow a chair for him in the Institute of Advanced Study so that these two lines of research may go on together." C. Judson Herrick, Professor of Neurology, University of Chicago: "Count Korzybski . . . presents a plan for radical revamping of our theory and practice that seems worthy of further trial in a wide variety of fields. . .Adjustments in terms of one dominant motive (or value) are replaced by a broader (many-valued) scheme of motivation which points the way toward personal and social sanity -- a way that I believe is fundamentally correct and practicable." Doctor W. Horsley Gantt, Phipps Psychiatric Institute, the Johns Hopkins Hospital. For Five years, co-worker with Pavlov in Leningrad: "I have read with great interest Count Korzybski's Science and Sanity, and feel that it is very important for science as well as general education and progress of human thinking. It expresses a point of view and a truth that I have not seen stated previously. I was particularly interested in the chapters dealing with conditional reflexes. Korzybski discusses the matter with profound and accurate understanding." P. W. Bridgman, Professor of Physics, Harvard University: "Of late years the realization has been growing that the ultimate source of a large fraction of the difficulties of society, civilization, and science, is verbal in character. Among the few serious attempts to waken full self consciousness of what the situation is, and, having awaked consciousness, to provide a technique by which the vicious consequences of verbal habits may be avoided, I believe that of Count Korzybski must be rated as of the very first importance. I have been acquainted with his work for a number of years; not only do I believe it to be fundamentally sound, but I have always found his points of view most suggestive and stimulating, both in general and technical matters, and I have been amazed at the breadth of his interests and reading, and the diversity of the fields to which applications are made."
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