The scientific theory as simple ypothesis: religious polemics against scientific ideas

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleΗ επιστημονική θεωρία ως απλή υπόθεση: θρησκευτική πολεμική εναντίον των επιστημονικών ιδεών
3. Language term Greek, Modern (1453-)
4. lemma author Katsiampoura, Gianna
5. lemma category History and philosophy of science
6. Publication date 14-10-2016
7. lemma work Makrides, Vasilios [Author]. Η επιστημονική θεωρία ως απλή υπόθεση: θρησκευτική πολεμική εναντίον των επιστημονικών ιδεών
8. lemma manifestations Ιστορικά
9. Keywords Greek Enlightenment - Copernicus
10. Lemma body

    1. Vasilios Makrides, in this paper, describes the religious polemics against scientific ideas of the 18th century in Greek speaking communities, during the period, according to the historiography of the Greek Enlightenment. Makrides introduces the scheme of “scientific theory as simple hypothesis” to describe the Orthodox scholars’ and Church’s reaction against the Copernician and Newtonian scientific ideas, which were introduced by the Greek speaking scholars after 1750. Among the Orthodox functionaries who supported the idea that the new scientific ideas were only an hypothesis so they couldn’t explain the reality were Kallinikos III, patriarch of Constantinople, Dorotheos Voulismas, a monk, and Sergios Makraios, teacher at Patriarchal School of Constantinople. Furthermore, some secular scholars had the same opinion, such as Nikephoros Theotokis. According to Makrides, some theological circles have the same reaction against science in contemporary Greece. The reaction against the theory of evolution is a relevant example. Finally, Makrides describes that theology should express opinion on natural sciences. The first case is when the natural science became dangerous for the humanity. The second, when the scientists express pseudo-scientific systems, converting empirical science to metaphysic system.