An international symposium on the theme SCIENCE AND THE BOUNDARIES OF KNOWLEDGE:  THE PROLOGUE OF OUR CULTURAL PAST was held in Venice, Italy, from 3 to 7 March 1986.  Leading scientists from 16 countries attended the meeting, which was organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the Giorgio Cini Foundation. They agreed on a final communiqué, THE VENICE DECLARATION, which sets forth their joint observations in five points, summarized below.

1. A significant gap exists between the new world-view which is emerging from the study of natural systems and the values that continue to prevail in philosophy, in the human and social sciences, and in the life of modern society.  We believe that this discrepancy holds a threat to the very survival of our species.

2. The new and mutually enriching exchange between science and the different world traditions opens the door to a new vision of humanity, even to a new rationalism, which could lead to a new metaphysical perspective.

3. There is a pressing need for truly transdisciplinary research, through a dynamic exchange between the natural sciences, the social sciences, art, and tradition.  In a sense, this transdisciplinary approach is inherent in our brain through the dynamic interaction of its two hemispheres.

4. The conventional way of teaching science masks the divorce between today's science and outdated world-views. There is an urgent need for new educational methods that take into account current scientific progress, coming into harmony with the great cultural traditions, the preservation and study of which appear essential.

5. Although scientists may have no control over the applications of their own discoveries, they must not remain passive when confronted with the haphazard use of these discoveries.  The magnitude of today's challenges requires a reliable and steady flow of information to the public and the establishment of multi- and trans- disciplinary mechanisms for the guidance and even the implementation of decision-making.