Lesson 1 - Science And Religion

Question 1

Albert Einstein

Answer 1

-discovery that there must be subatomic particles which behave in highly counterintuitive ways

-Germany, Switzerland and elsewhere, the first half of the twentieth century

Question 2

Michael persinger

Answer 2

Discovery that if certain parts of brain are stimulated they can induce religious feelings in about 8 out of 10 subjects

Ontario Canada the 1980

Question 3

Gallileo gallilei

Answer 3

The discovery that the earth orbits the sun
Padua Italy 1610

Question 4

How did gallileos discovery affect Christianity?

Answer 4

-galileo a famous scientist faced trouble with the Catholic Church because he said earth and planets orbit the sun

-this incident is often cited as an example of conflict between Christianity and science; even though ,ostensibly western Christian’s now believe in heliocentrism

Question 5

What did Michael persinger create?

Answer 5

God hel,et

Interesting case to explore relationship between science and religion

Question 6

What is science?

Answer 6

-science comes from, Latin word for knowledge

-science is a collection of human knowledge

-scientists and philosophers debate exactly how to define science and what scientific method is

Question 7

Empiricism

Answer 7

Remains at the heart of scientific thinking today as every scientific claim, depends on evidence

Knowledge is based on experience and experimentation

Experimental science is paradigm of knowledge

Experience and experiment rarely if ever produce certainty

Some empiricists believe that maths can be certain

Question 8

Rationalism

Answer 8

The senses can sometimes deceive us so empirical evidence is flawed

Mind should be starting point for knowledge rather then senses

Knowledge is based on use of reason or logic

Maths paradigm of knowledge

Genuine knowledge is certain

Relation to experience,
-experience doesn’t produce certainty and doesn’t conform, to reason
)experience is at best second class knowledge

Question 9

Empiricism - knowledge and summary

Answer 9

-Key Idea: Knowledge is primarily derived from sensory experiences and observation of the external world.

-Methodology: Empiricists believe in the importance of empirical evidence gained through observation, experimentation, and direct sensory perception.

-Example Thinkers: John Locke, David Hume, and George Berkeley were prominent empiricists who emphasized the role of sense perception in understanding the world.

Question 10

Rationaism- knowledge and summary

Answer 10

-Key Idea: Knowledge is primarily gained through reason, logic, and innate mental structures.

-Methodology: Rationalists assert that certain truths are known intuitively or through deductive reasoning, independent of sensory experiences.

-Example Thinkers: René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Leibniz were notable rationalists who emphasized the power of human reason to uncover universal truths.

Question 11

Inductive proof

Answer 11

-set of premises that move towards a conclusion that’s not logically necessary but only probable

-a posteriori as premises and conclusion are dependent on external evidence or experience

-conclusion of proof not contained within the premises - synthetic

Question 12

Inductive approach

Answer 12

-Observe and gather evidence for what has been examined.

-Analyse the evidence and draw conclusions in a hypothesis.

-Devise experiments to test out the hypothesis.

-Modify the hypothesis if necessary.

-Argue for a theory that will explain the evidence/results.

-Once there is a theory, use deduction to predict things that should be theoretically correct.
Establish tests to verify/disprove the theory.

Question 13

Deductive proof

Answer 13

-set on premises that move towards a logically necessary conclusion

• a priori as conclusion isn’t dependent on external evidence or experience

-doesn’t conclude anything that’s not already contained in original premises - analytic

Question 14

Strengths of deductive

Answer 14

-Does not depend on variable or misunderstood experience.

-It accepts that words and definitions have fixed and agreed meanings.

-No alternative conclusions

Question 15

Strengths of inductive

Answer 15

-Relies on experience that may be universal, or at least testable.

-It’s flexible – there is more than one possible conclusion.

-Does not demand that we accept definitions as fixed.

Question 16

Weaknesses of deductive

Answer 16

-Leads to apparently necessary conclusions – why is this a weakness?

-Depends on acceptance of the premises being analytically true.

Question 17

Weaknesses of inductive

Answer 17

-Depends on our acceptance of the nature of the evidence.

-Demands overwhelmingly good reasons for accepting that the conclusion is the most probable.

-Alternative conclusion may be just as likely.

Question 18

Scientism

Answer 18

the view that science alone can give true knowledge of reality; that it alone can determine what is meaningful, and that eventually, it will explain everything. Such an approach tends to ignore the contribution of the arts, psychology and emotions.

Question 19

god of gaps

Answer 19

-The “God of the gaps” is a term used to describe a theological perspective where God’s existence is used to explain phenomena that science has not yet been able to understand.

-For example, in the past, when people couldn’t explain certain natural phenomena through scientific understanding, they might attribute it to the direct intervention of God.

-As science progresses and provides natural explanations for these phenomena, the “gap” where God was once placed diminishes.

Question 20

Deism

Answer 20

-An ordered universe suggests that it might have been created by an intelligent designer.

-Deism is therefore the belief in an intelligent but impersonal creator: one who creates the universe then leaves it to its own free devices.

Question 21

Deism advantages

Answer 21

offers a religious way of explaining the predictable nature of the universe; cannot easily be challenged by science (once God has set the mechanism working, he leaves it to its own devices).

Question 22

Deism weaknesses

Answer 22

the Christian idea of God is personal not impersonal; an impersonal deistic idea of God is just an intellectual idea (John Polkinghorne).

Question 23

Christian existentialism

Answer 23

Humans create their own personal reality through the choices they make.

The world can be shaped by individual commitments and values.

It enables key questions to be asked about the meaning and purpose of life.

Question 24

Christian existentialism strengths

Answer 24

-faith as a matter of personal commitment and not related to scientific fact; religion offers a set of beliefs and symbols that provide meaning and purpose in life.

-In other words, Christianity is concerned with existentialist questions rather than scientific questions.