The Wonders of the World

The Wonders of the World

 

Wonder often fades as understanding and knowledge grows. A child's wonder at everyday objects tends to disappear, as it should, when the child comes to understand more about them. Is wonder, then, a fool's attitude, only appropriate for the ignorant? I argue that it is not. In particular, I argue that there are some stable objects of wonder, or, more simply wonders, where wonder is appropriate, no matter how much one knows or understands about the object. I explore what such stable objects of wonder have in common, and consider what this tells us about the value of wonder itself.