Religion and dualism in modern natural philosophy: Metaphysical motives in the philosophy of religion of modern physics

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleReligion und Dualismus in der modernen Naturphilosophie: Metaphysische Motive der Religionsphilosophie heutiger Physiker
3. Language term German
4. lemma author Koutalis, Vangelis
5. lemma category Modes of interaction > Integration - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Premodern _modern_ postmodern - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Orthodox gnosiology - Concepts of knowledge and modes of reasoning > Sources of knowledge (empiricism/rationalism) - Ecology and the environment - Scientific theories and disciplines > Modern physics: Relativity - Scientific theories and disciplines > Modern physics :QM
6. Publication date 1991
7. lemma work Begzos, Marios [Author]. Religion and dualism in modern natural philosophy: Metaphysical motives in the philosophy of religion of modern physics
8. lemma manifestations SKEPSIS
9. Keywords dualism - relativity theory - holism - quantum mechanics - cosmology - Modern physics
10. Citations
    1. <p>Begzos, M. (1991). Religion und Dualismus in der modernen Naturphilosophie: Metaphysische Motive der Religionsphilosophie heutiger Physiker. <em>SKEPSIS</em>,<em> 2</em>, 143-150.</p>
11. Lemma body

    1. A prominent feature of modern Western thought, according to Begzos, is dualism: subject/object, spirit/matter, soul/body, cosmos/God, these are some of the polarizations that became widely current in modernity. Such also is the case with the separation of theology from cosmology. Until the 17^th century theology and cosmology were actually woven together and despite the fact that there could be launched many reasonable and justified criticisms against this unity, the division that followed consolidated itself into an unjustifiable opposition.

       In the 20^th century, the relativization of time and space, owing to the special and general theories of relativity and the resignification of the principles of objectivity and causality, owing to quantum mechanics, provoked a gnoseological crisis, whereas the use of atomic bombs, the environmental pollution and the economical turbulences had as their effect a moral-practical crisis. Henceforth, the separation of theology from cosmology is rendered meaningless. The emancipation of human beings, due to the process of Enlightenment, does not result only in the total subordination of nature, but also to a quest for unity. Illustrative of such a quest is the scientific tendency towards holism that is visible in quantum mechanics and in the relativity theory. The very fact that eminent physicists, such as Heisenberg and Weizsācker, try to restore the unity of religion and science by raising questions that transcend the boundaries in both directions, indicates how much a fruitful interaction between science and religion is presently both possible and urgent.