The Faith of Reverent Science

Abstract

The object of this address is, first, to direct attention to the enormous service of science in liberating our minds from their century-long subjection to ancient dogmas, thus enabling us freely to enjoy the modern understanding of the world and of our place in it; and second, to consider certain responsibilities that are placed upon us in consequence of our liberation. With this object the contents of the address are as follows: It will begin with an introductory statement concerning two great products of the human mind-religion and science. Then will follow several retrospects, the first of which will recall the harmonious relation existing between primitive religion and primitive science among primitive peoples; the second will touch upon the unhappy conflict which arose between struggling science and theologically dominated religion in the later centuries of European history; and, after a brief interlude, the third retrospect will tell of the victory of science over various theological elements of our religion in a recent era which might well, for that reason alone, be called the Victorian. In this short review it will not be so much the events of the several retrospects as the state of mind behind the events that we shall try to consider.