Note
Science and Religion
I. Areas of Conflict; (A) Usual. Evolution vs. Creation; age of earth, etc.; (B) More Important: Freedom vs Determinism, also Providence (Divine Freedom); II. Methodology. Three Approaches.; (A) (Thomas Hobbes; see Randall, "The Role of Knowledge in Western Religion," 1959): Religion does not deal with knowledge, fact, quantity; it concerns only the poetic, symbolic, mythological. Its aim is for insight, morality, action, not knowledge of the world. It has nothing to do with "truth" in the scientific interpretation of the word.B. (Medieval world, Spinoza, Hegel): Religion and science cover the same field, deal with same subject matter. They are therefore either competitors from which we must choose one (Medieval Church, devotees of Scientism); or they are identical, the conflicts only apparent and due to ignorance, hence must strive to reconcile (Medieval Scholasticism, Saadia, Maimonides, etc. So, Spinoza, Hegel).C. (Kant, Schleiermacher, others): They have essentially different functions, but they overlap. Science deals primarily with quantifiable phenomena and the factual; religion is "transcendental reason," more esthetic than factual, deals with value judgments.III. A Jewish Attitude. Criticism of Above.A. Division too rigid, classification too neat. Requires a double standard of truth, essentially dualistic. Its religion must be completely out-of-this-world, which is impossible for Halakhah which is so strongly this-world oriented. Also, it reduces science to technology. Conant makes the point that scientists frequently must make ethical choices.B. Irreconcilability is un-Jewish. *Ki hi chokhmat’khem u-binat’khem l’einei ha-goyim* was interpreted by Sages to mean astronomy, mathematics. Bruno Kisch on *ve'kivshuha* as a commandment to pursue science as method of conquering Nature. Also, irreconcilability sets up science as an independent quasi-religion. Earmarks of "Scientism": a way of life; redemptive ("science" will bring utopia); a priesthood (of Ph.D.s);…
