Science And Religon.docx

Science And Religon.docx

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ScienceAndReligon

SCIENCEANDRELIGION

By WernerHeisenberg [6.3.07]Topic:

CULTURE

WernerHeisenberginthelecturehall

PhotobyJochenHeisenberg

WERNERHEISENBERG（1901–1976）wasborninWürzberg,Germany,andreceivedhisdoctorateintheoreticalphysicsfromtheUniversityofMunich.HebecamefamousforhisgroundbreakingUncertainty（orIndeterminacy）PrincipleandwastherecipientofTheNobelPrizeinPhysics1932.AfterWorldWarIIhewasnameddirectoroftheMaxPlanckInstituteforPhysicsandAstrophysics.

WernerHeisenberg's Edge Biopage

OneeveningduringtheSolvayConference,someoftheyoungermembersstayedbehindintheloungeofthehotel.ThisgroupincludedWolfgangPauliandmyself,andwas

soonafterwardjoinedbyPaulDirac.Oneofussaid:

"EinsteinkeepstalkingaboutGod:

whatarewetomakeofthat?

ItisextremelydifficulttoimaginethatascientistlikeEinsteinshouldhavesuchstrongtieswithareligioustradition."

"NotsomuchEinsteinasMaxPlanck,"someoneobjected."FromsomeofPlanck'sutterancesitwouldseemthatheseesnocontradictionbetweenreligionandscience,indeedthathebelievesthetwoareperfectlycompatible."

IwasaskedwhatIknewofPlanck'sviewsonthesubject,andwhatIthoughtmyself.IhadspokentoPlanckononlyafewoccasions,mostlyaboutphysicsandnotaboutgeneralquestions,butIwasacquaintedwithsomeofPlanck'sclosefriends,whohadtoldmeagreatdealabouthisattitude.

"Iassume,"Imusthavereplied,"thatPlanckconsidersreligionandsciencecompatiblebecause,inhisview,theyrefertoquitedistinctfacetsofreality.Sciencedealswiththeobjective,materialworld.Itinvitesustomakeaccuratestatementsaboutobjectiverealityandtograspitsinterconnections.Religion,ontheotherhand,dealswiththeworldofvalues.Itconsiderswhatoughttobeorwhatweoughttodo,notwhatis.Inscienceweareconcernedtodiscoverwhatistrueorfalse;inreligionwithwhatisgoodorevil,nobleorbase.Scienceisthebasisoftechnology,religionthebasisofethics.Inshort,theconflictbetweenthetwo,whichhasbeenragingsincetheeighteenthcentury,seemsfoundedonamisunderstanding,or,moreprecisely,onaconfusionoftheimagesandparablesofreligionwithscientificstatements.Needlesstosay,theresultmakesnosenseatall.Thisview,whichIknowsowellfrommyparents,associatesthetworealmswiththeobjectiveandsubjectiveaspectsoftheworldrespectively.Scienceis,sotospeak,themannerinwhichweconfront,inwhichweargueabout,theobjectivesideofreality.Religiousfaith,ontheotherhand,istheexpressionofthesubjectivedecisionsthathelpuschoosethestandardsbywhichweproposetoactandlive.Admittedly,wegenerallymakethesedecisionsinaccordancewiththeattitudesofthegrouptowhichwebelong,beitourfamily,nation,orculture.Ourdecisionsarestronglyinfluencedbyeducationalandenvironmentalfactors,butinthefinalanalysistheyaresubjectiveandhencenotgovernedbythe'trueorfalse'criterion.MaxPlanck,ifIunderstandhimrightly,hasusedthisfreedomandcomedownsquarelyonthesideoftheChristiantradition.Histhoughtsandactions,particularlyastheyaffecthispersonalrelationships,fitperfectlyintotheframeworkofthistradition,andnoonewillrespecthimthelessforit.Asfarasheisconcerned,therefore,thetworealms—theobjectiveandthesubjectivefacetsoftheworld—arequiteseparate,butImustconfessthatImyselfdonotfeelaltogetherhappyaboutthisseparation.Idoubtwhetherhumansocietiescanlivewithsosharpadistinctionbetweenknowledgeandfaith."

The1927SolvayConference,Brussels

CourtesyofSolvayInstitutes

[clicktoenlarge]

Wolfgangsharedmyconcern."It'sallboundtoendintears,"hesaid."Atthedawnofreligion,alltheknowledgeofaparticularcommunityfittedintoaspiritualframework,basedlargelyonreligiousvaluesandideas.Thespiritualframeworkitselfhadtobewithinthegraspofthesimplestmemberofthecommunity,evenifitsparablesandimagesconveyednomorethanthevaguesthintastotheirunderlyingvaluesandideas.Butifhehimselfistolivebythesevalues,theaveragemanhastobeconvincedthatthespiritualframeworkembracestheentirewisdomofhissociety.For'believing'doesnottohimmean'takingforgranted,'butrather'trustingintheguidance'ofacceptedvalues.Thatiswhysocietyisinsuchdangerwheneverfreshknowledgethreatenstoexplodetheoldspiritualforms.Thecompleteseparationofknowledgeandfaithcanatbestbeanemergencymeasure,affordsometemporaryrelief.Inwesternculture,forinstance,wemaywellreachthepointinthenottoodistantfuturewheretheparablesandimagesoftheoldreligionswillhavelosttheirpersuasiveforceevenfortheaverageperson;whenth