SCIENCE AND RELIGION
WHAT IS SCIENCE?
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica,
science is any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world
and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic
experimentation. In general, science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering
general truths or the operations of fundamental laws. The intellectual
enterprise of science originally formed an integral part of philosophy. Little
more than a hundred years ago, theoretical physics which deals with the
fundamental debate about physical nature, was still described as “natural
philosophy.” This was to distinguish it from two other chief divisions of ontology
namely, moral philosophy and metaphysical philosophy. The latter, metaphysical philosophy
included the study of the deepest nature of reality or being. Only during the
20th century, following the professionalization and specialization
of the natural sciences, did the philosophy of science come to be recognized as
a separate discipline.
SCIENCE THE CREATOR
The advent of science revolutionized
human life in all its varied facets. Science has contributed to human values
such as Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, and has become such an useful instrument
in the hands of man that he has not only produced innumerable items to live in comfort
and luxury but is, now, thinking in terms of extending his life span and youth.
The spectacular advancement of science and technology has generated a faith in
the omnipotence of science. As Russel says “one hundred and fifty years of
science have proved more explosive than five thousand years of pre-scientific
culture”. At present science has infiltrated into every aspect of human life,
even though many are unaware of its presence. Thanks to scientific progress
people can speak across continents and oceans, see events occurring thousands
of miles away, hear Big Ben striking in distant lands , photographs speak and
sing, and rapid advancement in communication and modes of transport have
reduced distances between nations and the world as such has become a global
village. New drugs and drug delivery systems, spectacular advancement in
surgical procedures, and rapid methods of diagnosis, all have alleviated human
suffering to a large extent and progress in medical sciences is reflected in
the advancement of human life span all over the world. Psychical abnormalities
are cured through proper counselling, methods of hypnosis, dream analysis,
electric shock treatment and mental hygiene. No longer do people believe that
demons cause diseases and priests cure them. Food production, food processing,
catering are areas where science has played a stellar role and the scientific
contribution in “green revolution” and “white revolution” has definitely helped
in the fight against poverty and hunger. So also the new scientific disciplines
of the latter half of the 20th century, such as genetic engineering,
biotechnology, and nuclear medicine have immensely contributed towards
alleviation of human suffering and enhancement of human welfare.
Scientists have been making new
discoveries, formulating new theories, and inventing new machines, at a growing
pace, for the past four hundred years. This period represents only a miniscule
of the recorded history of mankind. In such a short time man has achieved a
remarkable insight into the mysterious working of nature and has
used such information to make his
life more comfortable. Man has achieved this feat by making himself more flexible
in his adaptation to the outside world. No other animal has achieved so much.
Today man has the technological skill to survive in
extreme climates, to travel overland, to tunnel, or to swim, or to fly as he
wishes. He has invented language, communication skills and innumerable
mechanisms of information storage so that knowledge accumulated in one
generation can easily be transmitted to the next generation or generations to
come, a feat, which comes very near to the Lamarckian dream of pro genies acquiring
the skills developed by their parents. By developing technologies such as
genetic engineering and cloning, man today can even produce made-to-order
progeny, almost like playing God!
SCIENCE THE DESTROYER
Is it all about science and
technology? On the other side of this glossy picture is the dark side of the
degeneration of the human nature brought about as a consequence of the progress
in scientific knowledge and its application. The achievements in science and
technology and the resultant comfort and convenience has whetted human greed,
and he has become so selfish about his
own needs that he is not often bothered
about other organisms in the biosphere. Environmental degradation, pollution,
habitat destruction, over utilization of natural resources are all a few examples
of the consequences of human greed and selfishness aided by science and
technology. The total degradation of the value based living is a result of the
materialistic outlook which in turn, is a by-product of enormous power and
wealth generated by human beings with support from science and technology. At
present the technological marvels such as inter-net, computers, and cell-phones
are toys in the hands of a few men to create violence, discord and end-less
miseries to fellow human beings. Science has definitely helped nations to
accumulate weapons of mass destruction and the threat of a nuclear war appears
very much real. Unfortunately, a situation has emerged in which man is afraid
of his own shadow. The pertinent question that arises is, can we blame science
squarely for such state of affairs?
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
Science provides information
which man can use or misuse. Man is unique among organisms in this world in
that he has the discretionary power of choosing the right or wrong path of
action. Science and technology are mere tools which man can use for whatever
end he likes to achieve. However, to arrive at a conscientious decision human
nature has to get civilized and man must know himself thoroughly. Knowledge of
the self probably is the first step towards development of a civilized human
being.The wrong steps man takes are due only to the aberrations in human
behavior owing to a breakdown in the moral value system. Human nature and
values are all out of step. Science is not responsible for such a state of
affairs in society but man himself is to be blamed. As Einstein stated “science
can denature plutonium, but it cannot denature evil in the heart of man”.
THE REMEDY: SCIENCE OF SPIRITUALITY
Several biologists are of the
opinion that man does not know much about himself. What is known is only a tip
of an iceberg and there is a goldmine of information lying deep below the
surface. India
developed ages ago a system of studies to unravel this inner nature of man and
this system is the science of spirituality or adyātma vidya.
The spirit is defined as the
“life principle”. It may also refer to the thinking, motivating, and feeling
part of a human being. Spirituality may
refer to “the spiritual quality, characteristics or nature of the thing, as
opposed to the sensual or worldly one”. Another definition of spirituality is
the “state of being incorporal”. Simply, spirituality is the “inclination or
quality of being actively aware of and connected to the other reality, the one
that is not of this material world”. In other words to be spiritual is to be in
constant contact with the ultimate thinking, feeling and motivating part of
man.
Our world of experiences consists
of two parts: the internal and the external. Swami Vivekananda characterized
these as the microcosm and the macrocosm respectively. The truths or knowledge
gathered from the experiences of the internal world or microcosm constitute the
disciplines of psychology, metaphysics and religion whereas the experiences
gathered from the macrocosm or external world through the senses constitute the
physical sciences. Life becomes a harmonious whole when experiences from both
worlds become complimentary and are in constant equilibrium. As Swami
Vivekananda stated “a perfect truth should be in harmony with experience in
both these worlds. The microcosm must bear testimony to the macrocosm; physical
truth must have its counterpart in the internal world, and the internal world
must have its verification in the outside”. Whenever these two worlds become
non-complementary, conflicts and contradictions arise with unpleasantness and
unhappiness all around. At one period of human history the internal experiences
dominated the externals in the western world resulting in quarrels and
conflicts between religion and science. At present the role is reversed: the
externals, the scientists, have become supreme putting down many claims of
psychologists and meta-physicians. There is also a progressive rise in human
unhappiness and unpleasantness despite mind boggling achievements in science
and technology. Humanity has witnessed two world wars, innumerable regional
military conflicts, mindless terrorism, often claiming scores of innocent
lives, biological warfare, chemical warfare, torture and extermination of
thousands of people, bloody revolutions in the name of ideology etc. etc. in
the past one hundred years alone.
THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION
The external world is what is
exposed through investigations utilizing the five senses. The systematic study
of the world through experimentation, observation, logical analysis and
inference constitute what is called science. Man starts these investigations
soon after his birth, as a baby, absorbing experiences from the surrounding
world, analyzing, understanding, memorizing and culminating in the overall
learning process which continues throughout his life. In the modern world this
same process of learning has become much more sophisticated and precise and
near complete. This study of the external world, environment, is necessary for
the improvement of human life and for the progress of human civilization.
Civilization and culture are not
simply the accumulation of material comforts and changes in lifestyles. Both
these words, civilization and culture, are derived from ancient Latin. The word
civilization is based on the Latin ‘Civis’, ‘inhabitant of a city’ thus
civilization in its most essential meaning, is the ability of people to live
together harmoniously in cities, in social groupings. From this definition it
may appear that some of the social insects such as ants and bees, which live
and work together in social groups, are also civilized. So do some of the
microorganisms. However, there is more to the concept of civilization and that
is where the aspect of culture comes to it. The word culture refers to all the
positive aspects and achievements of humanity that make mankind different from
the rest of the animal world. Civilization in its true sense should mean the
triumph of mind over matter and of reason over instinct. The development of
qualities such as love, compassion, co-operation, tolerance and magnanimity and
the triumph over negative emotions such as fear, anger, greed, jealousy and
envy, are all hallmarks of a civilized and cultured society. Civilization and
culture is measured by the degrees of refinement of the inner self. Science and
technology can bring in only one side of this civilization and culture. The
other side of the transformation of the human mind can only be achieved by the
science of spirituality. No physical science can transform a Siddhartha into a
Buddha.
VEDANTA---THE UPANISHADS
Religion is the medium through
which man undertakes his spiritual journey towards refinement and perfection.
However, there is a general impression that the spirit of science is opposed to
that of religion. Science with its analytical, rational approach may not
support all aspects of religion which may be based on revelations, faith and
superstitious ritualism. However, all religions emphasize the virtue of looking
upon life as an opportunity for self-realization. They call upon all human
beings to incessantly strive for the moral upliftment and Godliness. Religion
is a binding force for bringing about solidarity of human society. The
religious discord and intolerance widely perceived in the modern world are
mainly due to human ignorance, misrepresentation of religious doctrines,
erroneous belief in the superiority of one religion over the others, and narrow
minded political opportunism. A scientific temper and an analytical, rational
approach can cut through these negative influences and in that sense science
may be a refining influence on religion.
As Dr. Radhakrishnan has put it “religion as an inward transformation,
as a spiritual change, as the overcoming of the discords within our own nature
– that has been the fundamental feature of it from the beginning of history”.
