Cultural Fragmentation Often Trumps Science

Last updated on: May 10, 2017 at 5:28 am by Paul Louis Metzger

Cultural Fragmentation Often Trumps Science 2017-05-10T05:28:49-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Creative Commons

Science seeks after objectivity. However, certain cultural predispositions and fragmentation fight against this goal.

Political, racial and religious divisions often shape approaches to scientific matters in various ways. One interesting historical example regarding politics and religious concerns Thomas Hobbes and Robert Boyles’ competing approaches to the natural world based on political upheaval in their cultural context. Against the backdrop of the wars of religion in Europe, Hobbes was concerned that empirical experimentation would lead to anarchy in society given his fear that individuals would operate according to their own devices and whims. Hobbes favored deduction, which for him was in keeping with political absolutism. In contrast, Boyle believed experimentation was egalitarian and would guard against political unrest, as individuals would all be involved in democratic processes.

Another historical example draws attention to politics, religion, and race. In a recent blog post, I reflected upon the new television series on Einstein titled Genius. The series situates him in his cultural and political context. There I wrote:

science was being used for political and racial ends in Einstein’s context. While Einstein did not appear to approach scientific considerations with a political or religious agenda, others approached science in a politically and racially charged way. The National Socialists and their premiere physicist, Philipp Lenard (“Chief of Aryan Physics”), struggled greatly with Einstein’s theories—and his Jewishness. They spoke of “Jewish physics” and “Jewish science”.

Einstein eventually fled to the United States because of the Nazi menace and its disgust for his ethnic heritage and his scientific claims. In view of Einstein’s situation, it is worth pondering how often do political, religious and racial considerations impact science today, including on matters pertaining to immigration?

From the vantage point of Warren Buffet, it was a good thing for America that we did not refuse Einstein entrance into the United States, when he fled Nazi Germany. Earlier this year, Buffet reflected upon where would we be as Americans if it had not been for Einstein and Leo Szilard who warned President Roosevelt about the possibility of Germany developing an atomic bomb. Germany’s racialized loss of Einstein was America’s gain. It is important to note that Einstein was not directly involved with developing nuclear weapons. In fact, he later regretted encouraging the United States to research nuclear technology (because of the German threat) given the U.S.’s use of atomic weapons in the war with Japan. Even so, for all the talk today about fears over immigrants, immigrants have played key roles in national security in the past.

This leads me to ask: where will the United States be in the future if we close the door to immigrants today? Will it impact us as a world leader in scientific exploration? Political, religious and ethnic biases on immigration may impact the scientific enterprise negatively. Now whether or not one can make a sufficient case for religious and ethnic biases impacting immigration reform presently, the politics behind immigration reform does impact science. According to an article in The Atlantic, President Trump’s stance on immigration is harming science. Where would we be without immigrants, when according to Forbes, 83% of America’s top science students in high school are children of immigrants?

Political, ethnic and religious divisions will continue to fight against scientific objectivity. However, confirmation biases, as well as our own sense that we operate objectively while those of other subcultures proceed according to distorted presuppositions, impact negatively scientific pursuits. Take for example this study by the Pew Research Center: “highly religious Americans are less likely than others to see conflict between faith and science.” The same study claims, “People’s sense that there generally is a conflict between religion and science seems to have less to do with their own religious beliefs than it does with their perceptions of other people’s belief.”

We need to be honest with ourselves and one another and seek to place all our presuppositions on the table, as well as be aware of how often we all operate according to confirmation biases. If we don’t become more humble and civil in our exchanges on science, religion, ethnicity and politics, anarchy might result, and we will be thrown back on Hobbes’ solution: only political absolutism will bring peace, albeit the hard way. Given the current political terrain, we might already be on our way.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 5, 2017

What Kind of Prosperity Gospel Does Your Church Preach?

Next Post

May 11, 2017 Immunity to Critique Leads to Political and Spiritual Abuse of Power

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz