Produced by David E. Brown, Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) RELIGION AND SCIENCE RELIGION AND SCIENCE FROM GALILEO TO BERGSON BY JOHN CHARLTON HARDWICK "Philosophy will always be hard, and what it promises even in the end is no clear theory nor any complete understanding or vision. But its certain reward is a continual evidence and a heightened apprehension of the ineffable mystery of life, of life in all its complexity and all its unity and worth." F. H. BRADLEY, _Essays in Truth and Reality_, p. 106. LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO. 1920 TO MY FATHER PREFACE The chapters which follow are not intended as even a slight sketch of the history of Thought since the Renaissance. Their object is more modest, i.e. to illustrate the thesis that mankind, being "incurably religious," insists (however hopeless the enterprise may sometimes seem) upon interpreting the universe spiritually. Thus it is quite natural that only a few typical names should find their places here: and often no sufficient reason may appear for one being included rather than another. For instance, in the tenth chapter, T. H. Green, F. H. Bradley, and A. J. Balfour are mentioned, while Martineau and the Cairds are passed over. Needless to say, there was no doctrinal prejudice here. Again, in the fourth chapter, Pascal is dealt with at some length, but Boehme, an equally important thinker, is ignored. And so on. I should like to acknowledge here my obligation to Dr. Mercer, Canon of Chester, for his advice upon books, especially with regard to material for the final chapters. Also to the Rev. H. D. A. Major, Principal of Ripon Hall, for suggestions about the general plan of the book; and to the Rev. E. Harvey (a mathematical graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, at present studying medicine) for valuable information about the present position of psychic research. J. C. H. ALTRINGHAM, _March 23rd, 1920_. CONTENTS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY PAGE Religion and Science defined. "Accurate and systematic knowledge" necessarily affects our "attitude to life." Can our systematised knowledge sanction a religious attitude? This the "religious problem." Religious harmony of Middle Ages. Will it return? 1 CHAPTER II THE DISSOLUTION OF THE OLD SYNTHESIS The old World-Scheme described. Aquinas and Scholasticism. Cusanus criticises conventional ideas of space. The New Astronomy of Copernicus. Bruno and an infinite universe. Galileo's telescope. The New Physics and an automatic universe. The New Logic 8