Cycles in Orthodoxy and Natural Science

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleЦиклы в православии и естествознании
3. Language term Russian
4. lemma author Saprykin, Dmitry
5. lemma category Complementarity
6. Publication date 08-06-2012
7. lemma work Паршин Алексей [Author]. Cycles in Orthodoxy and Natural Science
8. lemma manifestations Богослов.ру
9. Keywords Time - Evolution - liturgy
10. Citations
    1. http://www.bogoslov.ru/text/print/2609572.html
11. Lemma body

    1. A.N. Parshin is an Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Head of the Department of Algebra of the V.A.Steklov Institute of Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences. In the proposed article he compares general properties of the time cycles of Orthodox worship and cyclic processes in natural science. The author attempts to answer the question: "Can the study of the Orthodox worship structure as a form of Orthodox experience give something to science?"

       The concept of intelligible, supersensible space, of the single Creation day Heaven is an integral part of the Orthodox idea of the created world. We can assume that such a space contains ideal prototypes (the St. Maxim the Confessor doctrine of the logos) of real physical (and not only) objects and structures of our world, argues Parshin.

       The author proves that ideal designs permeate science and are, along with empirical observations, one of the most effective means of its development. We can say, as the author develops the thought, that Infinity is in an ideal world, and in the sensory world there is its ultimate realization. Then we can conclude that there is an infinite hierarchy of timepieces and conjugate cycles. It exists in such an ideal space, and earthly life only seeks to realize it, not having, however, the possibility to reach its infinite limit. The possible application of this circle of ideas in natural science (and, perhaps, in the study of society) would consist in the construction of the axiomatic theory of an ideal system of cycles (like axiomatic system of time proposed by the author).

       The author points out to the possible significance of such a theory for resolving the question of the life origin, a new view on evolution. In the author’s opinion, the idea of gradual directed evolution is fundamentally contrary to the Orthodox concept of the world origin.

       Parshin believes that the resolution of this contradiction is possible only "on the path of fundamental changes in our ideas about time, through rejection of a single linear directional scale and the transition to the concept of system of many independent linear times. Then every living organism must exist in its time and there is no absolute criterion that allows one to relate, to correlate the life events of one organism with the life events of another one ... The above considerations on the system of natural and life cycles lead to the assumption of a universal ecological system that determines the development of living beings in time. Such (an infinite!) system of cycles must be "always", in eternity." Parshin relies on the works of G.A. Zavarzin about the role of conjugated biogeochemical cycles’ system in existence of biosphere.