The controversy that has raged in these columns between science and religion is really a needless one.
With due respect to the writers I would like to suggest that those who wish to know more about this
issue in western philosophy should start with an in depth study of St. Augustine (354-430) and follow it
up with Averroes (Arabic Ibn Rushd 1126-98) and finally get to the famous doctrine of the Double Truth
of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-74). Long before Newton. The question requires considerable research to
understand its complexity by a study of philosophy. Remember that science itself was born out of natural
philosophy. The east has systems of philosophy not very much familiar in the west except to those who
have made serious attempts to study them in academic circles.
To summarize briefly – really a disservice – the writers mentioned above dealt with the two main aspects
which humans experience – reason and faith. Aristotle though not the earliest to explore reason and
formulate his system of logic had an influence that went all the way to the period of the Renaissance of
the 16th century. The Avrroestic interpretation of Aristotle conflicted with the clergy who held it as
heresy.
Averroes attempted to delimit the separate domains of reason and faith saying that the two need not be
reconciled as they did not conflict. It was St. Thomas Aquinas who made the major contribution in his
Summa Theologica by his doctrine of Double Truth in which he proclaimed, reason and faith constitute two
harmonious realms in which the truth of faith complement those of reason. But reason he said has an
autonomy of its own.
Presently the controversy has roots in the more recent developments in history of the Church’s
inquisition against those like Galileo and the conflict between state and church and the Monkey trial. A
more comprehensive understanding of this complex issue requires us to further study Eastern Philosophy.
You then deal with questions that neither faith (religion) nor science (reason) can deal with.
An example will be the conundrum that asks, does matter exist independently without a mind to perceive
it? Is mind real or matter real? You then get into the distinction between absolute and relative
knowledge, far more complex subjects.
V.N. Krishnan
Bowling Green