Sign-In
Cart
The Myth of Certainty: How Religious Beliefs Shape Science Thinking
Paperback
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 230
Weight: 0.69
Height: 0.48 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Science stands among humanity's most remarkable achievements. It has mapped the heavens, unravelled the structure of DNA, and transformed medicine, technology, and daily life. Yet its successes sit alongside striking limitations. We can predict the motion of planets centuries ahead, but not the weather beyond a few days. We understand the chemistry of life in extraordinary detail, yet remain uncertain about the origins of mental illness. These contrasts raise a fundamental question: why is science so powerful in some domains and so constrained in others?
We often treat science as a neutral, objective method for discovering truth - a universal tool that stands apart from culture, belief, or history. But science did not emerge in a vacuum. It developed within a particular intellectual tradition, shaped by assumptions about the nature of reality, the structure of the universe, and the possibility of certainty. This book begins with a simple but provocative idea: modern science is rooted in a cultural belief - almost a faith - that the universe is ordered, lawful, and ultimately comprehensible.
To understand how this belief took hold, we must look to history. Western thought is deeply entangled with its religious past, and many of the ideas that underpin scientific inquiry have theological origins. Philosophers such as Thomas Kuhn have argued that scientific change occurs through paradigm shifts, some of which are inseparable from religious worldviews. The monotheistic belief in a single, authoritative creator encouraged early scientists to search for universal laws governing nature. At the same time, it reinforced themes - certainty, purity, hierarchy - that continue to shape scientific expectations today.
A metaphor on the book's cover illustrates this tension. In the cartoon, God commands a football to split perfectly in two, and through a series of deterministic steps, it does so. The outcome is guaranteed; no external forces intervene. This reflects a familiar Western expectation: that nature obeys clear, discoverable laws. In contrast, the Buddha stands surrounded by multiple influences beyond his control. The result is uncertain, and the emergence of a rugby ball rather than a football would not surprise him. Buddhism does not assume a single cosmic authority or inherent order, and thus does not expect deterministic outcomes.
Modern science has indeed uncovered many laws governing physics, astronomy, mathematics, and biology. Yet even these laws reveal cracks when pushed to their limits. Gravity becomes uncertain when confronted with dark matter. Quantum physics abandons classical notions of determinism. Chaotic systems such as turbulence resist precise modelling. Many contemporary challenges - chronic pain, climate change, mental illness - arise from nonlinear networks of causes, defying the search for singular explanations.
Recognising the historical influence of religious belief on scientific assumptions allows us to question our cultural commitment to certainty. In many areas, certainty is not simply elusive; it is a myth. Persisting in the belief that all phenomena can be reduced to predictable laws may hinder our ability to understand complex systems and limit the future development of science itself.
This book invites readers to examine the hidden assumptions that shape scientific thought, to explore the cultural and theological roots of our belief in order, and to consider how embracing uncertainty might open new paths for inquiry.
Also in
Gifts & Stationery General
Go-To Notebook with Mohawk Paper, Midnight Blue Blank: (Blank Notebooks, Simple Notebook, Blue Notebook)
Chronicle Books
Other
This Earthly Globe: A Venetian Geographer and the Quest to Map the World
Andrea Di Robilant
Paperback
Flow Hive's Book of Bees and Beekeeping: Protect, Enjoy, Harvest
Anderson, Stuart
Anderson, Cedar
Hardcover
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Snoopy (Officially Licensed Peanuts Product)
New Seasons
Brain Games
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
The Official Pumpkin Spice Café Cookbook: 60 Delicious Dream Harbor Recipes
Gilmore, Laurie
Thomas, Heather
Hardcover
Bear Hugs Notecards: (Cute Notecards, Notecards for Friends, Artistic Notecards with Envelopes)
Chronicle Books
Other
The Investor's Odyssey: Resisting the Sirens and Playing the Long Game
Mayer, Christopher W.
Hardcover
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Flowers & Nature Stained Glass (28 Images to Sticker)
New Seasons
Publications International Ltd
Brain Games
Paperback
Learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana: A Workbook for Self-Study
Henshall, Kenneth G.
Takagaki, Tetsuo
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number - Vintage: Animals (28 Images to Sticker)
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
3-Color Botanical Cyanotype Kit: Beginner-Friendly Solar Printing Kit for DIY Nature Art
Rafferty, Sarah Bourne
Hardcover
Once Upon a Cookbook: A Treasury of Recipes Inspired by Timeless Children's Books
Taylor, Bryton
Hardcover
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Gilded Gardens (24 Images to Sticker): Includes 2 Foil Sticker Sheets to Complete Each Image!
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Be Calm (28 Images to Sticker)
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
After Dinner Amusements: Truth or Dare for Couples: 50 Questions and Challenges
Chronicle Books
Other
The Three Books of Enoch, Plus the Enoch Portions of the Book of Jasher
Ben Elisha, Ishmael
Paperback
The World of Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None a 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle: Illustrated by Ruby Ash
Agatha Christie Ltd, Agatha Christie
Other
Tesla & The Cabbage Patch Kids: Exploring the lost Empire of Tartaria and the Reset of 1776
Anderson, Guy Peter
Paperback
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Cozy Capybaras: Includes a Foil Sticker Sheet to Complete Each Image!
New Seasons
Brain Games
Publications International Ltd
Paperback
Book Club Bar: Literary-Inspired Drink Recipes for Your Next Great Read
Neary, Erin
Esten, Nat
Hardcover
Brain Games - Sticker by Number: Enchanted Wonders (36 Images to Sticker): Includes Foil Stickers!
Publications International Ltd
New Seasons
Brain Games
Paperback
Rebecca Yarros's Fourth Wing: I Survived Threshing Stickers - Sticker Set of 4
Out of Print
Paperback
Brain Games - Search and Sticker: Animals (for Kids Ages 3-6)
Publications International Ltd
Little Grasshopper Books
Paperback
Faith Sprout The 66 Roots Journey: Understand Every Book of the Bible Without Getting Lost
Ross, John
Paperback