SCIENCE NOT ENOUGH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23517, 4 June 1938, Page 23

SCIENCE NOT ENOUGH

Ours is a civilisation which, hai cherished science, which has given freedom to science, which ha# ■ adopted the spirit and applied the results of science in a degree that / no civilisation in history has done, ; says the Christian Century in comment on the meeting of the Ameri- ■ can Association for the Advance- ; men< of Science. Science has be* }, come the common denominator of :i civilisation, Bo when scientists rise ; to defend their freedom and offer | science as the cure of our social ill- |t ness, it is inevitable that they will . 1 be asked to give a steward's account of the freedom which science has; enjoyed in the past. Any attempt ■ to answer this demand will lead, ; in our opinion, to the conclusion that t science does not afford a sound basis for civilisation, The bald truth is j that science itself is part of thp nroblem which civilisation now con-; fronts, The scientific movement a» a whole has been too proud; it ha# < claimed far too much for itself; its j messianic role is considerably do- \ dated in the face of the present | debacle which threatens mankind. , For civilisation • now confronts no ? question so profound as thisi Whit - to do with the knowledge which ; science has given US? Ou r know- \ ledge has outstripped our devotion, t The springs of faith and humility ; have been allowed to dry up. In , his preoccupation with science, mill I has made an idol of his own know- * lodge and has fallen down before «• 1