CHAPTER 6 From Theory to Practice
IMPACT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY
SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION EFFECTS WORLD CHANGE
 Truth: based on authority rather than on observation and
experimentation.
o That attitude is evident in the works of early scholars: viewed
science as a passive endeavor that involved long hours of library
work.
o Spent great amount of time trying to interpret works written by
acknowledged authorities in science such as Aristotle and St.
Thomas Aquinas.
 Pursuit of knowledge: was considered to be part of saintly ideals.
 Science learning was largely confined to monks and clergy, who later
on established universities.
 Theology and literature: concern was to understand man’s
relationship with his natural world.
 History, however, tells us that while the Church’s influence did
repress the growth of science it was unable to completely halt the
development of scientific thought.
 Rapid diffusion of knowledge from increased book printing and
economic progress that produced mostly wealthy merchants –
provided an impetus for the rapid development of science.
 Idea of science for progress was yet to hold ground.
 Practical utility of knowledge for the benefit of society was yet to take
center stage
 Progress was seen to emanate from literary wisdom
 Brown (1986) enumerated some of the factors and conditions for
science to be of value to the society:
o Strong social motive to pursue science
o Better scientific methods and tools
o Freedom from the constraints of scholastic traditions
o Ability of scientists to associate among themselves and make
contact with the practical world of arts and crafts.
o Ability of scientists to ask the right questions about nature that
can be answered through observation, experimentation and
mathematical analysis rather than metaphysical philosophy.
 Francis Bacon: leading proponent of utilitarianism
 Novum Organum: this work describes a utopian society created
through a methodical application of science.
 Bacon’s legacy sprang from his crucial role in influencing the
scientific revolution through his courageous adherence to the
utilitarian character of scientific and consequently, technological
development.
 Ensuing scientific endeavor was generally categorized either into:
o A quest for “light” (basic knowledge)
o A search for “fruit” (applied research
 Cumulative works of succeeding natural philosophers (so-called
because science was then considered a natural philosophy) such as
Newton, gave man a better understanding of his material world and
universe.
 Advent of the industrial revolution: considered to be the actualization
of Bacon’s ideas.
 To concretize the principle of utility, here are citations of early
examples of scientific knowledge employed for practical use:
o J. Watt’s invention of condensing steam engine
 Prime mover of transport and industry
 Made possible by the concept of latent heat by J.
Black
o London’s synthetic dye industry
 Came from the accidental discovery of aniline dye
magenta by W. Perkins as he tried to synthesize
quinine
o Electrical industry owes much to the pioneering works of A.
Volta who invented electrical batteries and H.C. Oersted
who discovered the magnetic field produced by an electric
current.
o The telegraph system all over the world also came from the
practical application of Oersted’s discovery.
o The dynamo, alternator and transformer from the works of
M. Faraday – based on the interrelated concepts of motion,
magnetism and electricity.
 Machination of agriculture: led to processing and
manufacturing societies that characterized the period
of Industrial Revolution.
  France and Germany led in the establishment of
science universities and laboratories
- Other countries like Great Britain and US
followed suit
 Other important world events induced by using
scientific knowledge were two world wars.
1. Early stage of W.W.I was fondly called “Chemist’s War”
o Exposed the scientific and technological shortcomings of the
British industries in the development and production of chemicals,
explosives and dyes.
2. W.W.II – “Physicist’s War”
o Dropping of atomic bombs in Nagasaki and Hiroshima
o Illustrates the unique application of physicists’ understanding of
the nature and composition of matter.
o Enormous possibility of the destructive use of knowledge
 “Biologists’ War” – burgeoning development in biotechnology
o Might be carried out through recombinant DNA technology for
the creation of potent biological warfare
 These events though obviously made possible through practical
application of scientific knowledge, seem to run counter to Bacon’s
original thesis of scientific utility for the benefit of mankind.
 Another consequence of these developments – increased government
allocation to Research and Development with relation to GNP.
 This step recognizes the key role science plays in industrial progress.
 Task of R&D ceased to be a monopoly of universities and other
institutes of higher learning.
 Science-based industries started to set up and continuously improve
their own R&D facilities.
Inequality: An Inevitable Consequence of Change?
 Some cynics attribute ecological deterioration, economic slavery,
widespread poverty and other ills of the present technological world
to the developmental gains in the R&D systems of wealth countries.
 The world is divided between countries with developed and
underdeveloped technologies.
 Industrialization of Western countries caused too much strain on their
limited natural resources.
o Forced them to launch expeditions in search of new sources of raw
materials to sustain their economic progress.
o Thus, the era of colonialism began.
o Scientifically inferior countries lent themselves to blatant
exploitation by these world powers.
 Centuries of continuous scientific and technological development –
little change in global structure. (only dominant power changed)
o Dominance of Spain and Portugal ended with the rise of Dutch,
English, French and German powers. (eventually replaced by the
US and USSR).
o Gradual emergence of European Union and Japan – additional
economic powers.
 Imbalance: fact that more than 90% of the world’s R&D is
concentrated in developed countries.
o It is also geared towards satisfying the needs of developed
countries
o And not of aiming at narrowing the scientific and technological
gap between the developed and underdeveloped countries.
 World changes: most striking impact of the application of science to
society.
 Science is commonly equated with its application
o Fulfilling Bacon’s prophetic pronouncement that purposeful
application of scientific truth procreates power
o “for knowledge to meet with power”
 Science also successfully achieved what Marx foretold, i.e. to change
the world
 Scientific knowledge: endows the possessor with unlimited power
(for evil or good) to effect change.
Sociopolitical and Economic Impact of Science and Technology
 Scientific and technological revolutions continuously create new
social, political and economic orders.
 Birth and evolution of science and the parallel evolution of new
economic systems have been a gradual process.
 Middle Ages: characterized by a feudal economy whose mode of
production was through forced services.
o From 1450-1690, there was a triumph of bourgeoisie and the
capitalist mode of production
o Economy that used money payments for production and sale of
commodities, supported by improved techniques and better
transport systems.
  Capitalism: anchors its growth on the development of techniques
leading to improvements in science which in turn lead to the
development of better technology
 Bernal (1971) called this combined technical, economic and scientific
revolution a unique social phenomenon.
o Its ultimate important is greater than the discovery of agriculture
which is responsible for the birth of human civilization
Alternative Sociopolitical and Economic Order
o Since science contained in itself the indefinite possibilities of
progress.
Experimental Science and Capitalism
 Economic factor: dominant force in the rise of capitalism and
experimental science
 Economic needs: justify the improvements of new techniques and
exposed the inability of classical science to provide relevant solutions.
 This condition stimulated the development of experimental science
 Its success in practical utility made the Industrial Revolution possible.
 Science and technology found a secure and firm place in the
productive aspect of society.
 Capitalism: transitory stage in economic development
 Science: humanity’s permanent acquisition
 Capitalism: responsible for the development of science
 It was, however, this development that was responsible for the demise
of capitalism
 The actual process of scientific revolution leading to the process of
transformation from the feudal to the capital economy can be divided
into 3 phases:
o Renaissance (1440-1540)
o War of Religion (1540-1650)
o Restoration (1650-1690)
 These phases lead to political changes
o Italy: ended its political freedom
o Spain: was made as the first world superpower
 Second phase of political transformation is characterized by:
o the rise of America as a potential world power
o establishment of Dutch bourgeoisie Republic
o end of the British Bourgeoisie Commonwealth
o inconclusive wars of religion between France and Germany
 political compromise characterized the third phase of political
transformation
o absolute powers of the monarchy were reduced as big
bourgeoisie held they key powerful positions
o Britain: adopted the Constitutional Monarchy with the King
or Queen reduced to being figure head of state.
 Era of capitalism as the dominant economic system reached its final
stage prior to the first world war.
 Russia: set the stage for an alternative economic system with a
different mode of resource utilization
 Socialism: slowly gained ground as Chine Chuba and other Eastern
European countries followed suit.
 As socialism lagged behind in economic and technological
development
o The vastly expanding technology and market of West led to
monopoly and imperialism
o Replacing the capitalist pattern of economy backed by colonialism
 World War II resulted in liberation movements in most colonial-feudal
and technologically underdeveloped countries.
 Resulted in dividing the world between 2 dominant politico-
economic systems
a. Free world: controlled by imperialist-monopolist system
b. Second-world: controlled by socialist communist Russia and
China
 Two opposing ideologies made their impact in the ensuing Cold War
between the superpowers with an intermittent show of force as seen in
the crises of Korea, Vietnam, Congo, Cuba and Afghanistan
o Ending with the destruction of the Berlin Wall
o Uniting the two Germanies
o Collapse of the Soviet Union into several independent republics
 Eventual unification of the whole Europe into the European Union
 Rise of new nuclear states such as Britain, France, China, Iraq, India,
Isabel and even Libya.
 Economic dominance of Japan – to eventually exert economic and
political power: seeks a permanent seat in the most influential Security
Council of United Nations Organizations.
  Benefits of these changes were enjoyed by a small fraction only of the
total global population.
 Greater majority: yet to liberate themselves from the bondage of
poverty, economic dependence and technological backwardness.
 Real task of science and technology as envisioned by the advocates of
Scientific Utility in providing benefits to the whole mankind is yet to
Indicators of Socioeconomic Development
be achieved.
Science and Technology for Social and Economic Emancipation
 Material benefits are not being enjoyed by all of humanity as
envisioned by Bacon.
 Majority of the world’s population is still mired in misery.
 Living conditions in many underdeveloped countries:
o Widespread poverty
o Famine
o Unemployment
o Social unrest
o Many other unimaginable human adversities
 Science (seeks or discovers) – Knowledge – generates – Power –
effects Change
Rationale for Change
 Over-all scheme is in itself acceptable but the type or characteristic
change produced in ironically disappointing.
 Division itself is unequal
 Beneficiaries of science and technology are relatively few in
comparison with the impoverished.
 The gap between the two is increasing at an alarming rate
o Rich becoming richer yet fewer
o The poor becoming poorer while their number increase
logarithmically.
 What we would like to happen is a rectification of the existing
imbalance; a redirection of the end through a modified means.
 We are still of the same conviction that knowledge – remains the best
means of attaining change as an end.
 Science is still, and will remain, the principal agent of change
 Clark: emphasizes the modernizing role of science in poor countries
 Sagasti: underscores the interrelationships of science, technology and
development
 Dickson: stressed the relationship of technology to the problems of
underdevelopment in the third world countries.
 Follosco and Posadas: outline specific recommendations and
strategies for effective scientific and technological utilization for
national development.
 Country’s socioeconomic development: improved quality of life or
living standard through modernized social institutions such as
political, education, financial, health and economic sectors.
 Process of socioeconomic emancipation: gradual transformation
 Posadas: the strategy of “scientific and technological leapfrogging” in
attaining this objective
o Lies in a decisive and strategically designed S&T program – long-
term goal of mastering high technologies rather than executing
hastily planned short-term goals.
 Level of socioeconomic development: gauged in terms of specific
parameters, correlation with the average per capita productivity of
goods and services as well as through the GNP and per capita income.
 Political stability and economic progress reflect a very low or even the
absence of unequal health services and income distribution among the
population.
 Essential prerequisite of national development: its ability to generate,
utilize and improve technological innovation in the production of
goods and services for the welfare of its citizenry.
 Country’s socio-economic development depends on the availability of
fundamental inputs such as resources, capital and technology.
 Stage of the country’s economic development can be identified in its
level of structural information or the pace by which the agricultural
economy is shifting towards a predominantly industrial and service
economy.
 Such transformation cannot materialize without technological
innovation.
 Newly Industrialized Countries: attest to the necessity of
technological innovation in relation to socioeconomic development.
 Del Rosario et al. described the role of Science and Technology in
relation to economic development in a two-phase sequence:
Phase I. Science and Technology supports the economy
 Production: improved process through science and technology or
introduction of new techniques
 Economy: labor-intensive or low-value-added products
Phase II. Science and Technology leads the economy
 Production: knowledge-intensive or science-based industries
 Economy: high-value-added products.
 NIChood status: attained through national economic plans
impetuously driven by Science and Technology which would
eventually assume the leading role in achieving development goals
and objectives.
 Emergence of NIC states validate our conviction regarding the
science-induced change scheme presented earlier.
 These countries serve as tangible and pragmatic proof of science and
technology’s key role in socioeconomic development
 Many countries failed to achieve parallel success
 Some, including Philippines, appear to have taken the path of
“backwardness”
The Phenomenon of Underdevelopment and Backwardness
 We do not imply that underdeveloped countries, like the Philippines,
lack development aims.
 Its failure to hit its own target calls for a reevaluation of Science and
Technology priorities and operational mechanism.
 Sagasti: strongly linked underdevelopment with the problems of
capital accumulation
 This results in the country’s inability to attain economic growth, thus
hindering effective generations of endogenous technology that can
liberate the country from dependence and backwardness.
An Endless Cycle of a Cyclic End?
 Insufficient capital investment prevents employment of a skilled labor
force that has the ability to utilize modern production techniques to
create product surplus and higher per capita income.
 To allow generations or improvement of production techniques: yield
Redirecting National Science and Technology Policy
greater productivity for capital expansion.
 Insufficient capital (underdeveloped countries) restricts their options
to intensive employment of an unskilled labor force.
o Limited and/or backward production techniques –
consequently increase consumption, prevent surplus
production and capital accumulation
o These in effect restrict possibilities for capital expansion
 Low R&D allocation vis-avis the GNP: that limits the employment of
scientifically trained and technically skilled R&D personnel.
 Production focuses on low-value-added products
 There is only a minimal export of technology-intensive goods.
o These are due to the inability to generate new technology as
reflected in the low patent registration and technology trad
o Preventing capital accumulation process
o All of these contribute to very low technological index
 Additional contributory factors: (del Rosario et al.): R&D
personnel’s performance sector
o Philippines’ R&D general service sector: 81.3% of the total
R&D manpower
o 5.9% - involved in integrated R&D
o 12.8% - man our R&D’s higher education sector
o Low productivity: attributable to the low percentage of R&D
staff engaged in the productive sectors of integrated R&D and
higher education
o Majority perform unproductive service tasks.
 Examination of our expenditure pattern in terms of R&D activity:
reveals another contributory factor to technological backwardness.
o Most underdeveloped countries spend a lot in generating
fundamental knowledge through basic research while less
than 10% is spent in experimental development.
o This is a proof of the science and technology plan’s misplaced
priorities.
 Desire of the few wealthy social class to maintain the status quo:
further widens the existing socioeconomic gap
 Their unwillingness to plough-back surplus into the capital
accumulation process and their preference for luxurious consumption
– hinders economic progress that could lead to socioeconomic
transformation.
 Del Rosario et al.: they declared that our primary goal for national
development should be a policy of socioeconomic transformation
 based on Science and Technology rather than a national policy calling
for the development of Science and Technology
 Lack of sufficient capital investment can be remedied through
maximizing limited R&D capital and resources.
o Refocusing R&D activities toward product development
o Utilizing gains from fundamental researches of development
countries instead of indulging mainly in basic scientific
research
 Country’s socioeconomic objectives: can be achieved successfully
through a coherent science and technology program properly
coordinated among relevant government agencies and departments.
o There should be provision of effective linkages, networking
and feedback mechanisms to ensure allocation of adequate
funds and effective coordination of science and technology
activities.
Science and Technology Strategies for National Development
 Addressing the defects in the country’s science and technology policy
will not automatically transform our country into the so-called
“dragon economy” nor will it quickly translate into socioeconomic
progress.
 Socioeconomic state is partly formed by a global chain of events
leading to international economic division.
 A global solution is, therefore, needed for causing national
development.
 Major global structural transformations in science and technology
effort requiring firm commitment for change from developed and
underdeveloped countries is enumerated by Sagasti into three
categories:
1. Rectifying global economic balance by redirecting world expenditure in
R&D allocation toward meeting the technological needs of
underdevelopment.
2. Generation and development of local sci and tech capabilities designed for
particular national conditions taking into account specific peculiarities
such as:
a. A. well-defined national science and technology plan and its relation
to global socioeconomic development strategies
b. Science and technology interaction with the nation’s sociopolitical,
economic, educational and cultural aspects
c. Development of institutional science and technology infrastructure
d. Local generation of science and technology capacity
e. Resource availability for science and technology
3. Science and technology incorporation in the development planning by
increasing policy-makers’ awareness of science and technology’s role in
development.
 Global transformation: will be a long and tedious process, play a
minimal role in national development
 Local efforts: determine a country’s socioeconomic progress to a
greater extent
 Follosco put forth three strategies in pursuing our country’s goal of
NIChood status as follows:
o Modernization of production sector through massive domestic
and foreign technology transfer
o R&D capability upgrading through intensified activities in
high-priority sectors
o Development of science and technology infrastructure
including institution building, human resources development
and science and technology culture development.
 Posadas classified alternative national strategies for
science and technology development based on the
acquisition as follows:
1. Strategy of Technological Dependence: importation of major
technologies while generating few, low-level ones
 Rests on the principles of cost-effectiveness
 Quick results
 Minimal investment risks
2. Strategy of Technological Autarky: characterized by an almost self-
reliant technology as it barely imports foreign technology.
 Our country’s state of science and technology is incapable of complete
self-reliance
 This strategy as proposed by ultranationalists will do more harm than
good in regard to socioeconomic development
 This might end up with an obsolete, irrelevant and ineffective
technology
3. Strategy of Technological Leapfrogging – advocated by Posadas
 Characterized by coupling selected strategic high-technology transfer
with local R&D.
  Involves innovating imported technology
 The proposed strategy combines both methods while at the same time
correcting the flaws existent in the two alternative strategies.
 Socioeconomic progress attained through accelerated industrialization
requires as presented by del Rosario et al.
1. Establishment/improvement of conventional technologies
 requires establishment of primary production of raw materials
 Secondary processing industries based on agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, mining as well as energy generation
2. Development of “cutting-edge” technologies such as:
a. Information technology
b. New materials- semiconductors, polymers
c. Biotechnology
d. Electronics
e. New processing technologies
f. New energy technologies: photovoltaics, biomass conversion
technologies
 Industrialization requires necessary conditions favorable for
socioeconomic development such as:
o Stable political system
o Coherent national policy based on science and technology
development
o Highly skilled and trained human resources
o Effective environment and resources management
o Socioeconomic service support system and infrastructure
development
 Socioeconomic emancipation: can only be attained through careful
and deliberate utilization of science and technology in consideration
with the complex, interrelating factors and conditions for national
development.
Cultural Role and Impact of Science and Technology
 Culture: defines the characteristic features of a particular stage in
human civilization
o The term includes all aspects or dimensions of a given people
and/or period.
 Culture: a whole complex of interacting components of a civilization
o Customs and traditions, religious, ethical and philosophical
maxims or dogma
o Social, political, economic and educational structures or
institutions.
o Included are the resulting factors from these interactions
o Personality describes an individual character; culture – qualifies
social features and traits.
 A very striking feature of culture itself is evolution.
 Culture embodies all man’s activities in relation to every single aspect
of his existence.
o Man’s actions, thoughts, belief, social role and behavior and even
his view of his universe and how he relates to it are confined
within the existing culture to which his generation and civilization
belong
 Man’s action thought, role, belief etc. influenced or dictated by social
norms or standard derived from or according to maxims or accepted
truths.
 Scientific revolution changed man’s dependence on the authority of
the church
 Our present time is guided mostly by our knowledge derived from
science
 We are more concerned about being scientifically correct rather than
being religiously correct.
 Earlier times, people’s understanding is primarily explained in
teleological basis.
 Everything is viewed in terms of meaning and purpose.
 Plants, animals and the physical world: created to attain the needs of
man
 Since man is considered to be the highest form of creation, all things
around him were subject to his disposal.
 At present, we no longer ask why but rather how things are created
 The role, therefore, of science to culture is to give us an understanding
of the world as we perceive it not as we conceive it to be.
 Science: provides us with an essential link with objective reality.
o These measurable quantities help establish universally accepted
truths.
1. Spanish inquisition
2. Salem Witch-Hunting
3. Execution of Joan of Arc
4. Nazi’s Genocide Policy
 How would our knowledge of what is tell us what ought to be done?
o These questions have separated science and culture for a long
time.
o Practical application of knowledge gained from science: answers
the question of what is have long been accepted
o Values: tell us what ought to be done have been derived from
many sources (earlier times – ought to be done were provided by
the authority of the church, based on the will of God)
 Categorical imperatives based on reason: should guide our values
according to Ant.
 Human nature should be our basis for value judgment according to
Hume
 Bentham: advanced the idea of utility based on greatest happiness for
the greatest number as our guiding principle for valuation.
 Sociobiology contributed another perspective of value formation
based on evolutionary struggle for survival.
 What ought to be done is specifically a question of what behavior or
objectives must we pursue that are personally and/or socially desirable
and are worthy of esteem in itself.
o Indicates the impossibility of detaching what ought to be done
from what is and can be done.
 Science can provide us the objective basis or direction for proper value
formation.
 Moralists and ill-advised politicians: grossly incorrect in claiming that
social ills can be cured by “right” values and goodwill.
 Good science is an essential part of solutions to the problem.
 Wise decisions on what ought to be done about the controversial issues
of population control, environmental degradation and economic
backwardness – can only be reached through a concerted effort by a
committee of experts from varied disciplines.
 What can be done based on scientific knowledge of what is will
provide them an objective understanding of the nature of the problem
– leading them to a more humane and desirable solution.
 Process of scientific inquiry by members of the scientific community
generate and are guided by certain sets of values
 Universalism, Communalism, Disinterestedness and Organized
Skepticism – 4 principal values adhered to by scientists.
o Universalism: requires that science should transcend racial,
ideological and religious differences
o Communalism: requires that knowledge should be
disseminated publicly and freely exchanged amongst
scientists of the world.
o Disinterestedness: requires scientists to be trustworthy and
responsible for their published work.
 Research should not be manipulated or geared toward
any form of bias
 Utmost honesty and objectivity are required.
o Organized skepticism: factual statements should not be
based on the merit of authority but should be subject to
continuous verification and self-testing by other scientists.
 Scientific process: encourages and promotes certain values such as
intellectual honesty, critical of self and others, global concern and
open-mindedness
 The greatest of all values according to Merton as quoted by Brown is
the pursuit of the truth of fact
o Establishes trustworthiness and credibility
o Greatest danger as Merton said, is for a society to become too
credulous which may be exploited by some false prophets and
would-be dictators for their own selfish purpose.
 Passion for the truth of fact: best antidote to credulity
o Brown emphasized that it is one of the most precious and yet
vulnerable passions of human spirit and its guardian is science.
o Man’s existence and continued progress depend on this wise
utilization of knowledge
o It is imperative that we make science an integral part of our culture
o Its material benefits should not outweigh its usefulness in
providing us with essential solutions to our moral and social
dilemma
 Enlightened vision of progress
o Science should be seen as a key to a door
o Unlocking it fosters certain values – lead to a revelation of a vast
horizon and a wider perspective, all of which will help us develop
a new way of thinking
  cultural view of science is like slinging the idea of a separate mind and
body
 Jacob Bronowski: the body of technical science burdens us because
we are trying to use the body without the spirit.
Role and Impact of Science and Technology On Religion
 Whitehead: religion is the vision of something which stands beyond,
behind and within, the passing flux of immediate things
 We have recurrently seen how religion exerts a strong influence in the
initial development of science and technology.
Religion and its Importance to Mankind
 Brown viewed the essence of religion to be the recognition of the
mystery of existence.
 It is an admission of the fact that the world was not created by man.
o His incapacity to explain why and how the world was created
with absolute certainty led him to view these phenomena
simply as mysteries.
 Mysteries: justify the existence of organized religions.
 They provided mankind with an interpretation of these mysteries
through a system of beliefs based on the so-called “special revelation”
received by the founders.
 All religious belief systems are based on the faith on the existence of
God and that man’s existence can be given meaning and purpose
through Him.
 Belief systems: assure man of life after death
 Primary task of ecclesiastics: to make these belief systems meaningful
and relevant so as to move people to actualize and live by these beliefs.
Science and Religion: Friends or Rivals?
 Science and religion: both attempt to interpret and understand man’s
mysterious world through as systematic way.
1. Religion: system of beliefs in terms of the essence of our existence based
on faith in God.
Science: systematic method of gaining knowledge using observation,
prediction and experimentation.
 Such system is also based on faith that nature is rational,
understandable and predictable.
 Science has faith on the scientist’s objectivity
2. Religion: relates to man through his values
Science: relates through man’s objective rationality
 Science and religion cannot be rivals.
 A broader and holistic understanding of man’s mysterious world can
be achieved through both science and religion since they relate to man
differently.
 Science and religion should both accept their own limitations as well
as the fact that neither can have the monopoly of the ultimate truth.
 Catholic Church through Pope John Paul II deserves a commendation
for recognizing the boundaries of the religious system of belief.
 Example: Pope’s Address to the Commission reexamining the
Church’s treatment of Galileo
Is there a need for reconciliation?
 Long history of rift between science and religion: confounded by the
fast pace of scientific and technological process.
 Scientists: confine themselves with the material universe
 Priests: concentrate on the non-material aspect of existence as well as
life after death.
 Two incompatible world views:
1. Some people simply accepted the antagonistic nature of the two by
behaving through a double standard of mortality
2. Some evaded the whole thing and worst dismissed the need for one or
the other.
 These are the extreme fundamentalists and materialists.
 There are those who tried to forge a compromise between science and
religion to provide their beliefs with logical basis.
 Many a group of people tried to find alternatives to organized religion
by forming cults and sects
 Several religious cults mushroomed around the province – Mt.
Banahaw in Quezon.
 Burgeoning memberships of El Shaddai, Fundamentalists Born-Again
Christians – attest incompatibility in some respects with Church
teachings
 Organized religion fall short in translating its system of beliefs into
meaning and relevant faith.
 While most people adhere to reason, they believe that reason alone
makes life meaningless and devoid of purpose.
 Science: seems to make religion obsolete, in as much as religious
beliefs that are detached with reality are thought provoking.
  Whitehead: warns us that man’s continued existence depends on how
the present generation can forge a mutual co-existence between
science and religion.
 Brown: beliefs should illuminate knowledge
o Knowledge should be used to illuminate beliefs
Impact of Science and Technology on Religious Beliefs
 The pre-scientific idea of a separate heaven and earth was shattered by
science.
 The conflict between science and religion is actually the difference
between the natural and the supernatural.
 Science cannot confirm nor deny the supernatural nature of God
 What critical minds cannot accept is the contra-natural arguments used
by some theologians.
 Lunar expeditions enlighten us on the earth’s relative insignificance
within the vast universe
 Increasing ecological awareness also provided new insight on man’s
role on earth
 The idea of “dominion over nature” is obsolete.
 St. Benedict of Nursia: more ecologically correct when he said that
the man’s role is good stewardship of the earth.
o Very existence of all living things depend on man’s attitude in
caring for the earth and all of creation.
o Concretized by accepting the ecological principle of
interdependence among all living things and with the physical
environment rather than dominion over nature.
 The idea of separate creation has been destroyed by Darwin’s Theory
of Natural Selection and Mendel’s Laws of Genetics
 Advances in biotechnology: made clear man’s position among all
creations.
 Molecular biology: tells us that universality of genetic code and
material (DNA) point to the ultimate unity of life.
 The nature of DNA provides a working explanation of life’s unity in
diversity
 Modern physics: taught us basic lessons on how science and religion
should be viewed
 Atomic and sub-atomic behavior of matter forced us to view truth in
terms of the degree of probability rather than the absolute certainty.
 Paradoxical nature of light can also shed a workable approach on the
nature of God.
 Light can be described as waves while in terms of how a given detector
receives light energy, then light can be described as particles.
 Both contrasting paradoxes are valid only within a given context, its
validity ceases when used outside its context.
 Brown: all man’s attempts to describe the world, from electron to
Trinity are only useful metaphors which must be discarded if they
cease to be useful.
 The unknown can only be described in terms of what is known
 As knowledge increases, these metaphors should change.
 Metaphors and symbols: valid only within the limited context of
experience and should not use outside it.
 Irreconcilable differences between science and religion result from the
failure to recognize the context within which the metaphors and
symbols of science and religion are valid.
 Proper context of religious symbols is not the material world which
can be observed by the senses.
 Science: accepts the inevitability of change, uncertainty and
probability of being mistaken.
 Religion: will continue to be part and parcel of the society.
 To have religion or not is not the questions.
 The choice will be which among these organized religions is more
relevant and adaptable which is not.
 Religion and sciences are allies, not foes.
 Superficial knowledge seems to contract religion
 But a deeper scientific knowledge that provides a wider understanding
does not.
 It assures us that we are taking an integral part of the nature of God.
 Pope Pius XII: “true science discovers God in an ever-increasing
degree – as though God is waiting behind every door opened by
science.”
 “The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of WISDOM; and the
KNOWLEDGE of the HOLY is UNDERSTANDING.”