Download Robert Hanson

Robert Hanson
Phys 361
Prof Bothun and Nicols
4/23/05
Science as influenced by Language, Religion, and Culture
In the modern world, great faith has been put into the hands of science for discovering the
truth. In any other time in history, science has been the handmaiden of Theology. It was a means to
give legitimacy unto the argument for god. As Science grew independent of Religion, religion had to
struggle to justify itself through a new scientific standard. In most professional circles science has
overtaken among whom? religion as a path to truth. It science? is superior because of the idea that
scientific method is more objective and shuns the human biases that are innate in us all. It would
seem so, but even the advancement of science a theoretical standard is created that then casts a
weary eye on new ideas. Science is not completely independent of the existing theoretical, religious,
and cultural beliefs but is it has rather developed over time due to a series of these particular too
vague here circumstances. Particularly in our western history, modern science has developed
because of the establishment of a language of science, the idea that natural phenomenon was caused
by forces other than the whim of gods, and shaped to conform to an idea although the natural design
was divine; its perfection was a sign of gods work.
Religion and mythology may have developed out of a need to have some understanding of
world around us. Most myths constructed the world around the whims!! of gods as the source of
natural phenomenon. In the words of the prophet Amos, god sent the drought, locust and pestilence
on the people to get there attention. Careful here, according to Amos such events were anything but
a whimIt was rather common to suggest that unfortunate events were the wrath of god punishing
mankind for forgetting respect to them or for wickedness. The argument here is somewhat
inconsistent.
Without science or the temperance of an open mind, men live by their superstitions. What
life is it to live in fear of the gods? Note however that religion and superstition provide the illusion
of contral. The ancient Greeks first developed philosophy to explain natural phenomenon in a
worldly vague manner that excluded the gods.good This offered them the security ok, but how does
one gain “security” by otherthrowing the gods...also where do you findsuch sentiments in the
sources you have read? that they sought for rather than making constant sacrifices to appease the
gods. Especially the epicurean school of philosophy taught that knowledge was a means to peace of
mind. In a popular play Socrates is depicted arguing that rain is not Zeus pissing through a sieve but
a phenomenon of the clouds. Using observations and questioning the natural process ?? of things is
what attributes the Greeks with laying the foundations for Science. Better but a bit disjointed. Your
argument needs more focus, esp on the issue of how sciience is different from religionBy the 600th
century B.C. the Greeks already had a well established system of law. Could it have been that this
was a cultural factor that lead them to ponder if men lived by the order of laws, then might nature
have a set of laws of its own. This was the precursor to the idea of Universality. It was another
Greek thought that if maybe the laws of the nature held on earth then might there be other worlds in
the stars with men on them that lived much like we do. Remember that the covenant was also a kind
of law by which human behavior bound God to act a certain way
To create these new ideas and then express them to others requires a special vocabulary.
Aristotle when found in wanting for a word that describes gravity in the terms of attraction used the
word love. We have come to understand very well some complex ideas by an established set of
terms for a standard measurement and vocabulary of various forms of energy and phenomenon. As
in the case of string theory which is still a new and complex idea, we must resort to ordinary objects
like string to express our ideas. In the medieval ages Latin became the language through which
intellectual thoughts were conveyed and was universal even despite that the European Countries
spoke different languages. To this day Latin remains the language of science. You are getting away
from the central questions
Even this new science that tried to look at the world more objectively had its limits.
Observations were made and new theories were drawn. In the case of early astronomy there was an
assumption that the earth was the center of the universe. It was then that the early astronomers did
not remain objective but rather postulated how the observed motion of the planets could fit their
ideal. Many times in history the opinion that the sun was the center of the solar system was posed
and rejected until Galileo with his telescope made discoveries that people could not ignore. He
discovered that Jupiter had moons, Saturn had rings, and the sun had spots. Yet, his new discoveries
scared the power of the church and he was put under house arrest for the remainder of his life.
Careful here what you argue is essentially that there was no “bias” before Gal. because there was no
way to know the truth.
Science does not accept new ideas until the pre-existing culture and religion is ready. The
culture must be so, that the people are willing to accept that the god’s aren’t controlling natural
phenomenon as a means of punishment and rewards. Science requires a mode of expression through
which others may understand it and then try to make the same observations under similar
circumstances. This language developed out of the intellectual remnants left to us by the ancient
Romans through their language of Latin. Then the beliefs of the culture must accept the new science
and mustn’t be threatened by a new standard theory.
Robert, you circle around the issue a bit too much. The critical difference is in our old
standby, namely self conscious reflection. It was present among the greeks, but not in the anc near
east.
Think about how you can use the evidence more effectively.
B-