"I suppose that, as long as the human mind exists, it will not escape its deep-seated instinct to personify its intellectual conceptions. The science of the present day is as full of this particular form of shadow-worship as the nescience of ignorant ages. The difference is that the philosopher who is worthy of the name knows that his personified hypotheses, such as law, and force, and ether, and the like, are merely useful symbols, while the ignorant and careless take them for adequate expressions of reality. So, it may be, that the majority of mankind may find the practice of morality made easier by the use of theological symbols. And unless these are converted from symbols into idols, I do not see that science has anything to say to the practice, except to give an occasional warning of its dangers. But, when such symbols are dealt with as real existences, I think the highest duty is laid upon men of science to show that these dogmatic idols have no greater value than the fabrications of men's hands, the stocks and the stones, which they have replaced."
T. H. Huxley
Nescience - learned a new word. Thanks Sammy.
ReplyDelete