Friday, December 9, 2016

15 – Science and its Contribution to Knowledge

Science is not perfect. It's often misused; it's only a tool, but it's the best tool we have. Self-correcting, ever-changing, applicable to everything; with this tool, we vanquish the impossible.  - Carl Sagan
In this post:

The working hypothesis of this blog is that
the Universe has a purpose, and humankind
has as role in that purpose.

We must use both Science and Religion/
Philosophy in order to discover our role.

3 comments :

  1. Congratulations Art, this is a very rich contribution. I'd love to hear you come back to Genesis, and the problem of the Tree of Knowledge (of Good and Evil).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Art; I would agree that Science has contributed greatly to the evolution of humans on our planet and knowledge. In previous centuries such scientists were not necessarily Einsteins or Newtons, but curiosity seekers with an idea/hypothesis that they developed through persistent trial/error, failures/success which resulted in material proof and then became accepted as reality to the scientific scrutinizers/naysayers. In many cases their proof was applied with materialistic results.

    I would suggest that this was moving from the unrealistic to the realistic thus advancing human knowledge. What will science contribute in the next 1,000 years,10,000 years,let alone even 50 years from today? Will the Earth cease to exist if that is yotzer's plan? What are the limits,if any,to science and our evolution and what would that be?

    Whether such developments in science are used for the good or evil by humans is a matter of choice. I suggest that this is where there is a relation between "religion" as written in the Scriptures(ie. choice between original sin of good & evil as recorded in Genesis) thatconverge with science. The discrepancy between science and religion/philosophy is:what is real or what is unreal and as humans who are we to judge? The unseen,intelligent Yotzer is the ultimate Judge in the context of this argument(in my opinion).

    Perhaps the Earth & humankind are simply yotzer's "experiment" amongst the multiuniverse where there are other orders & forms of life. Maybe part of yotzer's purpose for humans on Earth is to allow us to discover our own purpose without a predefined, directed how & why as yotzer without interference,observes our evolution.

    The relationship between Science and Religion/Philosophy are argued on a linear basis but I would propose the introduction of another category which could explore cosmetology,astrophysics,quantum theory of the unseen,the unknown yotzer of the multiverse which is independent but related to both Science and Religion/Philosophy but independent of biases of both at the same time accepting as reality both. Imagine an equilateral triangle with the new category at the apex the two former categories at its base.(Personally I would place my Faith as the apex of this triangle).

    I don't have the answers to the purpose,the how,the why of yotzer nor does anyone else. You may consider this reply as either something to ponder or you may call me a Fool. After all,I would be in good company with others that have gone before me!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have a further thought on the second last paragraph of my reply re my suggestion of a triangle which is still linear.
    My new propsal would keep the equilateral triangle as its base with the same categories at the base. This would create a three dimensional concept with Faith or yotzer at the apex thus forming a pyramid with all categories equidistant & interrelated.

    ReplyDelete

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