The Relations of Science and Religion: The Morse Lecture, 1880Calderwood, Henry
Religion
The Relations of Science and Religion: The Morse Lecture, 1880
Calderwood, Henry
Religion and science
Nothing more is now required to complete this narrative leading up to
this problem, and discovering its proportions, than a brief account of
correlative inquiry which has afforded strong confirmatory evidence as
to the truth of the conclusions favoring localization, and coördinate
action of different portions of the brain as the central organ governing
the whole nerve system. The corroborative evidence at once supporting
the conclusions as to localization and favoring their extension to human
nature is obtained by reference to the results of injury to the nerve
system at various parts of the body, and injury to the brain as
ascertained after death. Continuing experiments on the animals, it has
been shown that even if a portion of the brain be cut away, it is still
possible to operate on the nerve lines in the usual manner by means of
electricity. Pushing experiment in this direction still further it has
been found that more serious injury permanently destroys the centre, and
entails paralysis of the muscles controlled by it when in a healthy
state. In like manner it has been proved that if the nerve itself be
cut, the communication is at an end, and movement by stimulation has
become impossible.
By perpetually occurring cases of paralysis in human experience, and
careful examination after death of the exact situation and extent of
disease in the brain, it has been shown by accumulation of evidence,
that the laws which provide for sensibility and for muscular activity in
the history of the lower animals, do also hold in the case of man. While
the brain continues in full vigor, all the usual forms of sensibility,
and modes of action are simple; where these have become disturbed,
restricted or impossible, some injury has been accidentally inflicted on
the brain of the sufferer, or disease has begun in the organ, and has
gained a hold exactly proportionate to the forms of restraint and
disturbance which have become outwardly manifest. These are results
which show how much is due by way of sympathy, and patience, and
encouragement to those who suffer under any degree of brain injury or
disease, due from all around them whose conduct may have any part in
determining their experience. These results testify how closely the
human organism stands allied to lower orders of organism around; how
many homologies of structure there are, and how many analogies in
experience. These things declare that science has a clear and
unchallengeable field of inquiry in seeking an explanation of human
nature on the same lines of procedure as those which have been followed
in ascending the scale of living organism. The nature and extent of
materials at its disposal as the result of the most recent
investigations have now been indicated. The problem is, How far can the
anatomy and physiology of the human frame account for the facts of human
life? The strength and practical power of religious thought in the world
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