Religion and Science
‘Religion and Science’ has been a subject of
study since a long
time. Some characterized the
relationship as one of conflict, others describing it as one of harmony, and
others proposing little interaction.
Science acknowledges reason, empiricism, and
evidence, while religions include revelation, faith and sacredness whilst also
acknowledging philosophical and metaphysical explanations with regard to the
study of the universe. Both science and religion are complex social and
cultural endeavors that vary across cultures and have changed over time.
Hinduism has historically embraced reason and
empiricism, holding that science brings legitimate, but incomplete knowledge of
the world. Religion and science have been in conflict methodologically, factually
and politically throughout history.
The concepts of "science" and
"religion" are a recent invention: "religion" emerged in
the ancient times. "science" emerged in the 19th century in the midst
of attempts to narrowly define those who studied nature. In the ancient and
medieval world, the etymological Latin roots of both science (scientia) and
religion (religio) were understood as inner qualities of the individual or
virtues, never as doctrines, practices, or actual sources of knowledge.
It was in the 19th century that the concept of
"science" received its modern shape with new titles emerging such as
"biology" and "biologist", "physics" and
"physicist" among other technical fields and titles; institutions and
communities were founded, and unprecedented applications to and interactions
with other aspects of society and culture occurred. The term scientist
was first coined by the naturalist-theologian William Whewell in 1834 and it
was applied to those who sought knowledge and understanding of nature. From the
ancient world, starting with Aristotle, to the 19th century, the term
"natural philosophy" was the common term used to describe the practice
of studying nature.
In the 19th century, Max Müller noted that what
is called ancient religion today, would have been called "law" in
antiquity.
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