The Vanquished Gods: Science, Religion, and the Nature of Belief
- ISBN-10
- 1615927174
- ISBN-13
- 9781615927173
- Category
- Philosophy
- Pages
- 349
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2001
- Publisher
- Prometheus Books
- Author
- Richard H. Schlagel
Description
The greatest influence on Western civilization during the past two millennia has been the Judeo-Christian religious tradition. Besides its influence on religious beliefs, it has also shaped Western values, conceptions of origins, customs, political systems, and overall worldview. But today, owing to the unprecedented scientific and technological advances in the 20th century, this influence has greatly diminished. Developments in the natural sciences have radically altered our understanding of human existence and the universe; biblical scholarship has demystified the Bible; and scientific inquiry has superseded biblical and church authority.Despite this dramatic shift in our frame of reference, the public seems largely unaware of the radical conceptual implications of scientific discoveries and explanations.The aim of this clearly written, engaging work by philosopher Richard Schlagel is to provide the open-minded reader with the necessary historical, biblical, and scientific background for understanding and evaluating this crucial development. Reviewing both the history of science and the history of Judaism and Christianity as uncovered by modern scholarship, Schlagel comes to the conclusion that the religious viewpoint has been rendered obsolete by the scientific method. Following Socrates' dictum that the unexamined life is not worth living, Schlagel exhorts us all to leave outmoded tradition behind and accept the rationally compelling evidence of the scientific worldview.Richard H. Schlagel, Ph.D. (Washington, DC), is Elton Professor of Philosophy at George Washington University and the author of From Myth to the Modern Mind: A Study of the Origins and Growth of Scientific Thought.
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