Thinking about the geosciences in their religious/philosophical context

Abstract

AbstractAt some stage in their past, all advanced civilizations have developed some sort of mining industry and a mythical approach to the explanation of various geological phenomena. Nevertheless, the geosciences per se developed in Europe, as part of natural philosophy and from there spread throughout the globe. Why Europe was the cradle of this type of natural philosophy, which led to modern science, can only be understood if we take into account not only the history of science, but a more general history of human intellectual accomplishments, including a history of theology and philosophy. This paper endeavours to trace the philosophical/religious settings that either furthered or hampered science. Historically, geology and palaeontology have been fashionable sciences from their first tentative beginnings in Renaissance times to the late nineteenth century. They were popular and of public interest as long as they bore not only scientific fruits, but also had a certain feedback on the contemporary world view. This paper outlines these interdependencies between the two magisteria of science and religion and gives an insight into the contemporary relationship between geology and religion.