Science and the modern worldWhitehead, Alfred North
Religion
Science and the modern world
Whitehead, Alfred North
Science
So far, my point has been this: that religion is the expression of one
type of fundamental experiences of mankind: that religious thought
develops into an increasing accuracy of expression, disengaged from
adventitious imagery: that the interaction between religion and science
is one great factor in promoting this development.
I now come to my second reason for the modern fading of interest in
religion. This involves the ultimate question which I stated in my
opening sentences. We have to know what we mean by religion. The
churches, in their presentation of their answers to this query, have put
forward aspects of religion which are expressed in terms either suited
to the emotional reactions of bygone times or directed to excite modern
emotional interests of a nonreligious character. What I mean under the
first heading is that religious appeal is directed partly to excite that
instinctive fear of the wrath of a tyrant which was inbred in the
unhappy populations of the arbitrary empires of the ancient world, and
in particular to excite that fear of an all-powerful arbitrary tyrant
behind the unknown forces of nature. This appeal to the ready instinct
of brute fear is losing its force. It lacks any directness of response,
because modern science and modern conditions of life have taught us to
meet occasions of apprehension by a critical analysis of their causes
and conditions. Religion is the reaction of human nature to its search
for God. The presentation of God under the aspect of power awakens every
modern instinct of critical reaction. This is fatal; for religion
collapses unless its main positions command immediacy of assent. In this
respect the old phraseology is at variance with the psychology of modern
civilisations. This change in psychology is largely due to science, and
is one of the chief ways in which the advance of science has weakened
the hold of the old religious forms of expression. The nonreligious
motive which has entered into modern religious thought is the desire for
a comfortable organisation of modern society. Religion has been
presented as valuable for the ordering of life. Its claims have been
rested upon its function as a sanction to right conduct. Also the
purpose of right conduct quickly degenerates into the formation of
pleasing social relations. We have here a subtle degradation of
religious ideas, following upon their gradual purification under the
influence of keener ethical intuitions. Conduct is a by-product of
religion—an inevitable by-product, but not the main point. Every great
religious teacher has revolted against the presentation of religion as a
mere sanction of rules of conduct. Saint Paul denounced the Law, and
Puritan divines spoke of the filthy rags of righteousness. The
insistence upon rules of conduct marks the ebb of religious fervour.
Above and beyond all things, the religious life is not a research after
comfort. I must now state, in all diffidence, what I conceive to be the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account