Religion
In reply to the discussion: The Mistrust of Science [View all]Joe Chi Minh
(15,229 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 13, 2016, 04:53 PM - Edit history (1)
contentious interpretation of Spinoza's philosophy as classical pantheism, accept that it was a form of panentheism, whereby the creating spirit is distinct from its creation. This is in line with Einstein's copiously reiterated belief in a great Spirit that created and sustains the universe :
http://www.bethinking.org/god/did-einstein-believe-in-god
Moreover, he told Spinoza to take a hike, when he championed Intelligent Design so brilliantly :
We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library, whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different languages. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend but only dimly suspects.
Immediately, after that, however, he expresses his fascination with Spinoza, though Spinoza seemed to see nature as a perpetual-motion machine, the activities of which are pre-ordained by his own nature, and are in no wise
purpose-driven or intelligent !
In any case, infinite regress has been mathematically proven by agnostic, Alexander Vilenkin, be false ; that the universe must have had a beginning, so neither scored too well there.