i wish to thank stu and sally
for the lively and deep reflection/conversation
elucidating as it were
the inner sentiments of science and scientists
thinking of god
i am taking my point of departure here
in concern for the words written by pierre tielhard de chardin sj
regarding the awareness of man
with the new astounding power in the 1940s
the power to devastate the world with atomic fire
it is my particular bias that the collective thinking
inherent in the "progress" of science reached a turning point
toward general hubris in the 20th century
with regards to two ends of the life spectrum
which have now come under confident control of the
world of technology and medical science
i regard this rather tentatively for i view the advance
as one riddled with ignorance
and thus subject to tragedy
the effort to gain control over human reproduction
through the use of synthetic contraception and abortion
has spelled a definitive break with the past
birth even conception was considered something both
ordinary
and miraculous
as well as life threatening
today at least in the countries sporting medical self confidence
there appears to be a sense of control over these matters
in ways mankind in general has never known
and with the development of nuclear power
it is clear but never really stated much anymore
that there is in the possession of the military
(if no one else)
the inherent ability to extend widespread destruction
if not the ability to wipe out all signs of human life
at least to reduce human life to a desperate remnant
(one that has been imaginatively explored in various science fiction modes)
the overarching question which i intend to bring to
the elevated discussions here at communitas dies
is:
does science serve some useful purpose
in beginning developing maintaining and propogating
community life?
a physicist i know will say:
well if you have a campfire you have science
but i am thinking of applied science
the science we confront daily
the science which is held out before us
as somehow essential to viable patterns of survival
i ask myself
where does "science" enter into the life i live
and how essential is it
can a community live without reference to scientific knowledge??
consider the community in which i presently reside:
where does science meet the reality of daily life?
my abbot is a chemist
( i have wondered whether or not his training in chemistry
affects his way of thinking in his role as "christ in our midst")
certainly science is involved in the architecture
certainly science is involved in the heating and cooling of buildings
certainly science comes into play in the feeding of 2000 plus people every day
plumbing electricity computers automobiles
the teaching of science is at a premium on this college campus
(recent reports hold that an alumnus is set to go into space with NASA)
but these matters are directed toward education primarily
and i find myself asking:
what good is any of this to me?
i contend that most applied science is both useless
and highly exaggerated in importance
i do not need atomic accelerators or any knowledge that comes form them
i do not need astronomy
i do not need geology (although i dream of rocks and volcanoes and
tectonic plates)
i do not need any of the science associated with microbiology
i do not need most medical science
i do not need computers
i do not need laboratories
i do not need anything that comes from the human sciences
(in fact i have recently concluded that there is something horribly bereft
in the presumptions of these disciplines)
any community must find practical means by which
to sustain life
heat food light sanitation
these seem to be the basics upon which any community could
sustain some form of shared life
a christian community must attend to the word
and reason and knowledge enter deeply into this matter of lived expression
thus i regard that there is quite a distinction between
running an institution
one which requires intensive attention to practical scientific matters
and sustaining a community
theoretically a community could band together around
a fire around tents or teepees
hunting fishing gardening might all require some form of "knowledge"
and be indeed increased with efficiency
given data from the world of scientific trial and error
humans are inclined to knowing
this is a given
a community might be understood as a place of shared knowing
i will contend that what is promulgated as "science" in our day is
essentially superfluous
unnecessary
nothing comes to us through the world of science
which cannot be safely done without
this is not to say that there is no usefulness
in knowing the movement of the stars
the twitching and rumblings of the earth
the chemistry of things
all knowledge is to some extent useful
but a basic community must recognize that
science is far less important
than the willingness to enter into a shared life
with basic food basic prayer
and a commitment to reflection
a commitment to a way of knowing which is not so much applied
as contemplated
i call for the end to practical science
it must no longer be taught in the schools
philosophy is the goal
and leisure is the context
to hell with the pragmatists and utilitarians
to heaven with those who know
it is enough to pray
and entrust ones livelyhood to the will of
god
