Comenius on the principle of harmony between science and religion
From Universal Philosophy to the Philosophy of Saints
By John Taylor; 2009 May 04, Jamal 07, 166 BE
Everybody is trying to save the world. That is a good thing, I am not saying that it is not. For example, I just posted on the Badi' Blog a video of a TED talk where a scientist and engineer proposes that we solve the energy crisis by flying giant kites on strings that are miles long. His argument seems plausible. Wind in the upper atmosphere seems to be the only green resource powerful enough to meet humanity's rapidly accelerating energy demand, though what effect exploiting it would have on the world's climate is anybody's guess. Still, according to his calculations it would be much easier and cheaper to go fly a large number of kites than, say, to build a new nuclear plant every nanosecond for the next several decades.
Nobody can deny that energy is an urgent need, but it is also undeniable that if we are ever going to solve the problems of the age we will have to go far beyond any single technical fix, no matter how effective.
I was initially intrigued by the reform proposals in Comenius's Panorthosia because of their age. Here was somebody back in the Seventeenth Century doing what everybody and his brother is trying to do now, urgently seeking a way to save the world. However as I delved deeper I came to see that this work stands on its own merits; it could have been written today. Having studied it almost a year, I am now convinced that this is not just one of the most important treatises on reform ever written, it is also one of the greatest books of any kind ever written.
Part of what makes Panorthosia great is its vision of harmonious collaboration between science and religion in service of peace – Comenius defines politics as the business of peace. Just as tethered robot kites might reach up into the stratosphere to tap powerful winds on high, so a coordinated, world-wide educational initiative might potentially tap powerful, unsuspected reserves of human potential. Just as kites are simpler to make than power plants, so Panorthosia lays out a plan to clarify, unify and reconcile the three basic areas of human endeavour, science, politics, and religion.
"Philosophy deals with books and knowledge and the reasons for things for the purpose of enlightening mankind. Politics deals with rule and authority for the purpose of keeping mankind in order. Religion deals with God and conscience for the purpose of kindling in mankind the flame of faith, charity and hope (or keeping it alight)." (Ch. 13, para 12, p. 205)
Although these three spheres of human activity are distinct, they also complement one another. For example, we may have knowledge from science and will from politics, but without religion we would not have hope or a sense of purpose. The bird would have one weak wing, and problems like suicide and lawlessness would be difficult to improve. Similarly, if the wing of science were weak, society would be dragged down by superstition and misused technology. Comenius envisioned instead a comprehensive grasp of science as becoming central to everybody's thought and education. Common sense, in knowledge, action and faith, would, with effort on all of our parts, become a truly common, a universal possession. The result he called "universal philosophy."
"We shall therefore be justified in calling the Philosophy Universal because of the Universality of its Object, its Subject, and its Use of its Object ... whereas popular philosophy flows along narrow channels of subtle speculation and serves but few people, Universal Philosophy adapts everything to the laws of common sense and will serve the cause of all men; and of its Use, as it applies to the whole Life of Man and all that he possesses under Heaven." (Ch. 11, para 3, p. 176)
However divergent their specialist knowledge, there would remain a core common to everybody, be they scientist, politician or religionist.
"The basis of the age of enlightenment will be a Universal Philosophy which gives the human understanding full, orderly, and true insight into everything that exists in the world. Just as the Wisdom of God, which is undivided, sees and disposes all things, so human wisdom, modelled on that of God, should be undivided and not fragmented into different Sciences, Arts, and Faculties. For obviously just as our mind is the image of the everlasting Mind, so also its light should be like an image of the everlasting Light." (Ch. 11, para 1, p. 175)
By participating in this universality of outlook, faith would become so infused in the personal motives of experts and scientists that the endeavour itself would become known as the "philosophy of saints."
"Universal Philosophy will therefore be the most perfect knowledge of everything which it is Man's lot to know, speak about, and do in his lifetime, enabling him to perceive the differences between all things through their different ends, means, and uses, and serving to suppress all the errors and hallucinations which have hitherto beguiled the human mind, but at the same time obtaining and preserving and increasing all manner of spiritual, physical and material blessings. This will entitle it to be called the Philosophy of Saints, whose most perfect teacher will be the very Wisdom and Goodness of God in Jesus Christ." (Ch. 11, para 1, p. 175)
Whatever specific solutions we take up in order to brake climate change, there is no way to avoid carefully looking at Comenius's proposal for an upgrade of knowledge from specialization to universality and of morality from competition to saintliness.
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John Taylor
email: badijet@gmail.com
blog: http://badiblog.blogspot.com/
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