The [in]compatibility of science and religion

[GliderGuider]

141. Value vs. meaning

Last edited Mon Jan 23, 2012, 04:18 PM - Edit history (5)

I use science in my daily life too. However, I have found throughout my life that despite its great value science doesn't give me any particular sense of meaning. Wonder yes, meaning no. I then realized a few years ago that the lack of that sense of meaning was harming me by exacerbating my despair as I tried to come to terms with the damage done to the natural world by human activity facilitated by science and engineering-based technology. Since I have no way of moving toward a theistic religion and no desire to do so, I explored other avenues that could loosely be called spiritual in order to see if they held clues to meaning. I discovered that for me, they did.

Recognizing the difference between value and meaning, and acknowledging my own psychological need for meaning is what has made me sympathetic to spiritual issues. While I can't summon up an active belief in things like the Bardo Thodol or reincarnation - let alone gods - the conscious suspension of active disbelief has made it possible for me to make a psychological shift that I'm quite sure saved my own life.

That's why the position of non-belief is so attractive to me - it opens that search for meaning even wider than the simple suspension of disbelief. In the process, it shone a strong light on the belief-system that underpins the modern cultural response to science. My willful suspension of belief in those cultural elements (that I call scientism for lack of a better word) has radically changed my view of science - in some ways for the better, in some ways for worse.

There's no need to imagine someone else in this situation - my position is deeply personal, and consciously chosen for my own reasons. It may or may not be useful to others. I suspect that it will not generally be seen as useful. I present it here mostly as a candidate for a "third way" other than a simple belief in either religion or science.

As a final note, I want to say thanks for your continued challenges. They have given me great incentive to clarify my thinking.