"Symbiosis or Death": - Rhodes University

35
universe as mere mechanism” but “feel very strongly that the laws of the universe …
have a very striking and significant kind of beauty” (31). He then carefully discusses the
concept of truth and concludes: “It seems to me that in the quality of truth and beauty one
finds what is really the deepest root of the relationship between science and art” (33).
Livingstone’s rigorously philosophical paper “Science and Truth” examines how
thinkers and scientists have viewed truth and, in concluding, asks “Is the ‘truth’
attainable?” (105). He gives this answer:
It is possible we have to reconcile our pursuit of scientific truth – verifying every
step of the way, imagining it, longing for it, even dreaming of it, spurring
ourselves on with the current theory or available ratiocinative device, alert always
for the dissolution of rigidities whose components re-form into new realities
which will dissolve in their turn – with never actually attaining it. Einstein’s
observation: ‘The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is
the source of all true art and science’, affords not only comfort but enjoyment
while the day to day proper business of science ensues, i.e.: seeking after truth,
however evasive the truth happens to be. (106, my italics)
In quoting Einstein, Livingstone also points to beauty and truth as the source of both
science and art. His much-quoted belief that "Science is humanity’s search for truth and
art is humanity’s interpretation of the truth" (Fazzini 1990: 142) is a further indication of
his belief that science and art are not mutually exclusive.
Douglas Livingstone as ecologist
There is no doubt that Douglas Livingstone was both ecologically aware and ecologically
proactive. As scientist, he devoted some 30 years of his life to cleaning up the sea around
Durban. As poet, he communicated his ecological awareness and despair through his
poetry and through talks and articles.
His friend and colleague, Allan Connell, explains how Livingstone’s scientific
work in microbial analysis of water quality led to clean bathing water at Durban’s
beaches. 9 He pays tribute to Livingstone’s work as a whole: “Douglas’ dedication to the
9 In an article “In Memoriam: Dr Douglas Livingstone – the Scientist”, Connell explains: “In Durban
Douglas joined a team of scientists studying the health of the marine environment in the vicinity of Durban.
This research preceded the construction of the two major submarine outfalls constructed in 1978 and 1969
to convey sewage and some industrial effluents several kilometres offshore, and proved to be an invaluable
yardstick with which to measure the effectiveness of the outfalls in improving the nearshore and surfzone
water quality. In this the microbial studies of the small team headed by Douglas played a key role as it was
the microbial parameters that had been seriously compromised by the previous disposal practice of
discharging effluent at the mouth of Durban Harbour on the outgoing tide. Even after the pipelines were