One of the foundations of New Atheism – that science and science alone can reliably inform us about the world – has proved surprisingly popular. Not only is it not uncommon to hear people say they think ‘science’ has disproved ‘religion’ but some even say that they can’t be religious because they look at the world scientifically.
But what does it mean to look at the world ‘scientifically’? What actually is science? Is it itself ‘scientific’ or does it rest on its own beliefs and dogmas? And if so, how does one set of beliefs (religious) relate to the other (scientific)?
Rupert Sheldrake is a widely respected scientist and author, most recently of The Science Delusion. His talk addressed the nature, foundations, limits – and future – of science, and what it means for belief and for religion. You can hear it here:
Rupert Sheldrake was also interviewed by Keith Fox, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Southampton. This, and the audience Q&A, can be found here: