This is actually a school assignment for History Performance Task. This individual reflection shortly reflects my paradigm of relationship between science and society, and between science and religion. Here is what it goes:
Science is indispensable in every civilization’s advancement and dominance. Through the ages, the theories and inventions of science provide crucial material for the nations to rise as the major power in their time. Even so, it is not rare that science often emerges by contradicting and eradicating the old beliefs.
It is better to recall one important principal of science: there is no absolute truth except mathematical truth. Based on this premise, science can help mankind to have a better understanding of nature using careful observation data and mathematical deduction. Therefore, it is not strange that science frequently crashes with established beliefs such as religions, whose premises are sometimes lack of empirical evidences and logically contradictive. Nevertheless, religions usually rebut by claiming that human mind is not perfect to contemplate the whole universe.
However, it is important to point that scientists are liable without good financial support and protection from the reigning political power. Before the Industrial Revolution, most of the rulers used religions to maintain the order in the society. Revolutionary scientists were often compelled to face accusations, becoming martyrs like Socrates and Galileo. Strangely, those actions usually decreased the rulers’ popularity, as science turned up to be a simpler and more logical solution that improves life quality. This is the most frequent result of the battle between science and old beliefs. Science devotes itself to this statement: nothing is eternal but changes.
Knowledge is power; the greater freedom that mankind gains from science have loosens the sophisticated moral and traditional rules. Unfortunately, science has also been contaminated by several pseudo-sciences that claim to be pure sciences. Hitler’s racial theory based on Darwinism sociology is a horrible example of how science can devastate humanity. Moreover, Hitler’s case has shown how science has been extolled as the truest of the true by the modern society. Science has become the new god.
While effort to unite science and religion has been largely backfired, it is better to admire the two for the sake of diversity. Harmony between faith and reason would be a celebration of what human mind can do.