English (Course Code)
Abstract
In Emerson’s essay, ‘’Nature’’, we can see how important religion is to him. Each of his essays leads us to an understanding on how to attain a perfect relationship with God through nature. The goal of science here is discover the purpose of nature. But is it necessary to reconcile both science and religion? This essay will be arguing that there is no need for reconciling science and religion since both are independent from each other. The possible solutions are to grasp knowledge of both without the need of differentiating the two and to respect both facts. Science might be quantifiable but that doesn’t mean religion isn’t. Religion only requires faith.
Thesis Statement
Through recent research, I have found that the reconciliation of science and religion with a view to understanding nature is not necessary. Therefore, in my opinion, I think that in looking at science and religion as two independent disciplines we can begin to understand nature in different ways as well as allowing us to take either theoretical or evidence based approaches that co exist rather than merging to further complicate our understanding. The following sources shall illuminate the need for such separation, looking at how and whether we can conceptualise complete ‘truths’ about nature and the natural world through such disciplines independently and what benefits can be obtained from this.
Barkman, Robert. "From pattern to principle: Discovering science through observing patterns in nature ." Green Teacher 62 (2000): 19-21.
Barkman’s article focuses on the formation of patterns that can be detected within ecosystems. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the idea that evidence detected from patterns can be seen as more useful than theoretical perspectives in that they can help naturalists form more reliable opinions based around observation, ‘By beginning with a pattern to discover rather than a theory to memorize’ (Barkman 2)
The idea that evidence should be used over theoretical perspectives here supports my idea that science and religion should be treated as separate entities; with the former evidential based and the latter confined to the realm of theory. The idea of pattern detection attests to my thoughts that theoretical opinions do not necessarily add anything to our understanding of nature in this specific article provided by Barkman.
Coyne, Jerry A. Faith vs Fact: why science and religion are incompatible . New York: Penguin , 2015. Review found in Booklist. Religion. (2015): 61-62.
Coyne explores the relevance of religion in the place of science for determining the natural world. His article concludes that religion should be treated as separate in that it has nothing to contribute to scientific understanding of nature, the latter seen as more valuable as ‘it seeks metaphysical certainties, not the testable, not the falsifiable, physical proofs of science’ (Coyne 62).
Coyne’s argument supports my own in that he states that religion is seeking metaphysical certainties whereas Science professes to testable methods that can be materialised into known certainties. Due to the disciplines seeking different overall goals they should be treated and dealt with separately whilst being used to test for validity.
Hutchings, Patrick FitzGerald. "Nature and Nature's God." Sophia 45.1 (2006): 1-4.
Hutchings looks at nature in terms of its relationship with natural law and how this can explain the purpose of human nature. His article illustrates the idea that natural law forms ‘order’ as culturally constructed and human ‘nature’ is something organic and intrinsic.
Hutching’s article supports my idea in that it states that religion is working to quantify by seeking to explain human ‘nature’ against natural law. The questioning of cultural tradition through scientific approaches is necessary, as it has previously provided a theory of truth. Instead, scientific approaches are allowing traditions to be ‘scrutinized with respect to its bearing on the course of human events’ (Hutchings 4). Whilst this is the case, science and religion cannot be conjoined, they are useful in testing the validity of each other as independent disciplines.
Murphy, Seamus. "Science vs Religion: The Phony War ." An Irish Quarterly Review 96 (2007): 245-256 .
Murphy’s article indicates the intrinsic differences between science and religion. This article purports that where the two disciplines have been seen as incompatible they are not in opposition, as ‘they are not in competition over the same space’ (Murphy 248).
This article supports my argument in that Murphy vehemently states that the two coexist in different spheres of influence and that the combination and opposition of the two fail to provide us with additional knowledge. We cannot hope to discover a wider conceptualization of the natural world, a recognizable failure to accept the two as separate entities that are not in competition with each other cannot be used to explain a given point.
Park, Thomas. "Faith in God without any revelation? ." International Journal of Philosophy and Religion 78 (2015): 315-328.
Park investigates the preservation of faith in terms of ideas of divine revelation. Park’s argument reveals tensions between divine and desire with the former attributed to religious experience and the latter to human ‘nature’ and social science. He illustrates the idea that religion and science can equally ascertain some truths about nature if the former is tested and distinguished by the latter; he focuses on the divine and desire in opposition to the profane and diabolic (Park 315). It is this area of Park’s argument that finds support within my own ideas, whilst recognizing the need for both of the disciplines to be separate rather than forged to form a multidisciplinary approach.
Reich, K. Helmut. "How could we get to a more peaceful and sustainable human world society? The role of science and religion ." Zygon 47.2 (2012): 308-321.
Helmut illustrates the benefits of science and religion in collaboration. The purpose of this article demonstrates the separateness of the two in terms of their disciplines, mainly due to their origins, with religion attempting to describe the natural world based on theoretical teachings from centuries previous that feature as ‘quite different from ours’ (Helmut 317).
This article supports my ideas in that it states the value of looking at religion and science as separate disciplines that have no definable boundaries, with further separations within their categories. Similar to Murphy’s article, Helmut aligns himself with the idea that the two do not compete but coexist.
Spratt, Stephen. ""To find God in nature": Thoreau's Poetics of Natural History." Mosaic: a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature 45.1 (2012): 155-169 .
Spratt’s article looks particularly at Thoreau’s perceptions of natural history, specifically in his ‘Autumnal Tints’. The purpose of this article demonstrates the oppositions of theology and science and how they can help ‘find God in nature’. In summary, this article suggests that science and religion can help to inform our opinions about the natural world through the use of language, both metaphorical and descriptive. Thoreau makes conventional alternations between the metaphorical and physical through language in order to reach descriptive and imagined conclusion. In referring to Emerson, he notes the importance of the ‘self abandonment of the truth’, which makes words things’ (Spratt 156)
This article supports my argument in that alternating perceptions that coexist, rather than combining allows us to conceptualize nature differently and with a more rounded and alternate perspective.
Taylor, Bron. "Exploring Religion, Nature and Culture— Introducing the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture." JSRNC 1.1 (2007): 5-24.
This article demonstrates the subversive nature of religion. Taylor’s purpose is to illustrate the futility in attempting to fully understand religion as a broad term and, instead, accept that it can define many different aspects to many people. She draws attention to the fact that when discussing nature, we can regard the ‘supernatural’ as something reflected within a completely metaphorical realm or, alternatively, a corporeal place with spiritual qualities; with scientific reasoning also subject to deviations (Taylor 10).
This article agrees with my perceptions in that the goal of science is to discover nature’s purpose, but both science and religion cannot define nature in its entirety, only fragments of it, through their equally fragmented composites. Each of these researches a different aspect of the natural world and how humans communicate with their surroundings. For example, Biology will focus on social aspects of human nature within ourselves, whereas Physics will seek to explain our position within our surroundings. Similarly, religious belief differs between religious institutions in which we would likely see atheists profess differences to Christians when viewing the subject of human nature and inherent ‘truths’.
Conclusion
This research essay has examined a multitude of evidence that coincides with my point in that science and religion do not have to be combined in order to garner a better understanding of nature and the natural world. By separating disciplines we effectively gain multiple responses that can then by used in order to test and manage each other in order to obtain quantifiable information on specific behaviours. Difficulties arise in opposing the two disciplines in that they can be considered part of different spheres of knowledge that allows us to obtain information or ‘relative truths’ within certain areas or based on specific agendas, but fail to provide an overall ‘truth’.
Bibliography
Barkman, Robert. "From pattern to principle: Discovering science through observing patterns in nature ." Green Teacher 62 (2000): 19-21.
Coyne, Jerry A. Faith vs Fact: why science and religion are incompatible . New York: Penguin , 2015. Review found in Booklist. Religion. (2015): 61-62.
Hutchings, Patrick FitzGerald. "Nature and Nature's God." Sophia 45.1 (2006): 1-4.
Murphy, Seamus. "Science vs Religion: The Phony War ." An Irish Quarterly Review 96 (2007): 245-256 .
Park, Thomas. "Faith in God without any revelation? ." International Journal of Philosophy and Religion 78 (2015): 315-328.
Reich, K. Helmut. "How could we get to a more peaceful and sustainable human world society? The role of science and religion ." Zygon 47.2 (2012): 308-321.
Spratt, Stephen. ""To find God in nature": Thoreau's Poetics of Natural History." Mosaic: a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature 45.1 (2012): 155-169 .
Taylor, Bron. "Exploring Religion, Nature and Culture— Introducing the Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture." JSRNC 1.1 (2007): 5-24.
