Religion and Science
-Alfred North whitehead
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About Writer & Essay:
Alfred North Whitehead - most important mathematician of the 20th century.
Religion and Science - an excerpt from the book "Science and the Modern World"
It shows the conflict between religion and science the writer makes a genuine effort to find a means of putting the conflict into perspective and softening the disagreements.
The writer says- religion will not regain its old power until it can face change in the same sprit as does science.
• Clash of doctrine is no disaster, change can emerge from them.
. Whitehead asserts that progress for science implies progress for religion, and that religion can must evolve.
Summarize the essay in your own words.
Charles Darwin, ground breaking book, advocates human beings were evolved from animal. With this book, science and religion got conflict. Religious people thought that God had made human beings.
According to Whitehead, there are similarities and differences between science and religion. According to time, both of them change. For example, in the time of Galileo, pope and religious guru believed in Geo-centric concept (earth is centred and sun revolves around it). Later, Galileo making powerful telescope proved that sun is centred and Earth moves around it (helio-centric). His ideas became controversy and he was sentenced to jail by religious people. Now, religious people also believed in helio- centric concept.
Science also believes in changes if the pervious claim and truth becomes false by doing experiments and research. In comparison with religion, science changes fast. For example, initially, scientist believed that earth was in rectangle shape, now they believe in oval shape of the earth.
Ideas or theory upon the same thing can be true in different time. Newton's concept of physical nature of light was believed in 18th century while Huygens's ideas of nature of light was believed in 17th century.
The writer also finds differences between them. Science believes in fact, and objective truth while religion believes in outer world.
He thinks that science and religion should believe in changes, if not, their existence can be collapsed.
He says that a clash of doctrines is not disaster- it is an opportunity. Due to conflict between science and religion, real ideas of helio centric emerged.
What are Whitehead's definitions of religion and science? ( र विज्ञानको बारेमा ह्वाइटहेडको परिभाषा के हो ?)
Ans: According to Whitehead, science is related to physical phenomena while religion deals with world beyond.
How are religion and science related? (धर्म र विज्ञान कसरी सम्बन्धित छन् ?)
Ans: Religion and science are related because in both fields, different concepts are changed and added. Their studying field is different but essence of study is inter-related.
What are the similarities between religion and science? (विज्ञानबीच के समानताहरू छन् ?)
Ans: Science beliefs are not constant. They go on changing. In the past, there was geo-centric concept (earth is centre) but later changed in helio-centric (sun is centred). Now, religious people also believe in helio-centric concept. Such addition and modification also happens in the field of religion. That's why, these two fields do have similarities
What is the most scientific religion ? (सबैभन्दा वैज्ञानिक धर्म के हो ?) Ans: The most scientific religion is based on fact and objective truth. It establishes truth which is proved by observation and experimentation. If it is proved previous fact false, it can change easily.
When did science and religion separate? (विज्ञान र धर्म कहिले अलग भयो ?)
Ans: In the late 19th and the early 20th century, science and religion
separated.
Is Whitehead clearer regarding religion or regarding science? When is he least clear? (के ह्वाइटहेड धर्म वा विज्ञानको सन्दर्भमा स्पष्ट छन् ? यस बारेमा उनी कहिले स्पष्ट भए ?)
Ans: He seems to be clearer with science but he is least clear with religion because he says that worship is a surrender to the claim for assimilation. He himself confused with value of worship or real existence of religion though he himself says that conflict between religion are science are constructive.
Do you think Whitehead treats religion fairly in this piece? ( ef6x]8n यस पाठमा धर्मलाई उचित रूपमा व्यवहार गर्दछ? यस बारेमा तपाइलाई के लाग्छ ?)
Ans: I do not think Whitehead treats religion fairly in this piece but He seems challenging the establish religion.
One problem religion has, according to Whitehead, lies in the imagery it uses to express its truths. Define his concept regarding that imagery. What is he referring to? Would a change in imagery entail a change in the conflict between religion and science ? (व्हाइटहेडका अनुसार धर्मको एउटा समस्या छ, यसले आफ्नो सत्यलाई व्यक्त गर्न प्रयोग गर्ने मानसिक चित्र छन् । त्यो मानसिक चित्रका सन्दर्भमा उनको अवधारणा परिभाषित गर्नुहोस् । उसले के को कुरा गरिरहेको छ? के मानसिक चित्रमा परिवर्तनले धर्म र विज्ञानबीचको द्वन्द्वमा परिवर्तन ल्याउन सक्छ ?)
Ans: According to Whitehead, religion believes in subjective truth. So, it finds existence of god's stone, church, temple, in and monastery They are images to represent the god. For him, such images are problem to science. If such factors are not considered as God images, there will be lessen somehow conflict between God & religion.
In the essay, Whitehead speaks of the fading of religion in modern life. Does his view of the fading of religion from modern life square with your own observation of religion's role in life? (के आधुनिक जीवनबाट धर्मको लोप हुने उनको दृष्टिकोण जीवनमा धर्मको भूमिकाको तपाईंको आफ्नै अवलोकनसँग वर्गीकृत छ?)
Ans: White advocates that religion is fading way in modern life. Personally, I also believe that religious people do not have similar faith upon the gods. We have different Gods in different. geographies & places. As a Hindu, we hope to find God in stone. and temple. Today, religion man is hypocrite, and self-centered. They do not possess the code of religion faith. They are money seeker in the name of God.
Religion is or is not antagonistic to science. Argue. ( faza विरोधी हो वा होइन । तर्क गर्नुहोस् ।)
Ans: Religion is not antagonistic to science because struggle between religion and science is fruitful to evolve new and factual ideas. Church, in ancient had the faith of earth is centre and sun revolves around it. Copernicus didnot believe on it and said sun is centred and earth moves around it. This concept is helio-centric. Later Galileo making powerful telescope proved heliocentric ideas. This new idea was not easily accepted by religious man but it was the fact. Due to clash between religion and science, people of entire world get the fact of earth & sun.
In what ways are the methods of science different from the methods of religion ? (धर्मका विधिहरू भन्दा विज्ञानका विधिहरू कुन-कुन तरिकामा फरक छन ?)
Ans: Science is based on truth, rationality and is worthy of being accepted. Religion is based on emotions, myths, and totally unreliable methods of truth determination. Since the dawn of man, humans have striven to explain the many mysteries of the universe, and to justify our existence in it Throughout this journey of self-understanding, numerous standpoints on human existence have evolved and merged into a complex, abstract manifestation called religion. However, as the human race has grown and advanced itself, many ideas expressed by religion seem less and less plausible. Advances in science and technology have yielded a new breed of human thought that has disturbed and shaken the foundations of religious ideology. Our new, scientifically grounded understanding of the universe has unfolded a plethora of answers to age-old questions, which are antithetical to the explanations offered by religion.
Using the material provided in the essay, establish exactly what the conflict has been between religion and science. Do you think that there have been adequate grounds for the conflict, or has it simply been a product of misunderstanding? Is the conflict inevitable? Do you believe it will continue in your life time? (निबन्धमा प्रदान गरिएको सामग्री प्रयोग गरेर धर्म र विज्ञानबीचको द्वन्द वास्तवमा के हो भनेर स्थापित गर्नुहोस् । के तपाइँसँग द्वन्दको लागि पर्याप्त आधारहरू छन्, वा यो केवल गलत बिचारको उपज भएको जस्तो लाग्छ? के द्वन्द अपरिहार्य छ ? के तपाईं विश्वास गर्नुहुन्छ कि यो तपाईंको जीवनकालमा जारी रहनेछ?)
Ans: Religion and science study the different fields, aspects and field of study and centext is opposite. Due to different concern of study, the conflict is essential and this conflict, I think will continue in our life time. As the fact, two things are of two poles never meet. In the same way, they do not have fully reconciliation and remain conflict between them till human minds are on the earth.
Is the process of acquiring religious and scientific explanations similar? (के धार्मिक र वैज्ञानिक व्याख्याहरू प्राप्त गर्ने प्रक्रिया समान छन् ? )
Ans: I think that the process of acquiring religion & scientific explanation is not similar. Religion attempts to acquire knowledge from invisible source while science believes in objective truth. Those things which cannot be touched, seen, experimented, science does not accept its entity on the earth. Religion believes in ghost, supernatural element, vampire while science takes them as an airy fact. In conclusion, they have different field of study but both are similar because they believe in modification and change in old concept.