Abstract
The triumph of the reason as the only way of natural knowledge was the most remarkable result of the paradigm shift occurred during the so-called Scientific Revolution, which reaches from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, and in which dogmatic reasoning lost progressively its role as the principal form of knowledge. Nevertheless, during the following centuries, a large part of the men of science were willing to favour the conversion of dogma into an agent of rational thought. This paper, tries to offer a point of reflection on the influence that the biblical account maintained in the construction of the modern scientific theories that, somehow, tried to explain relevant issues such as the origin of physical and moral differences between humans. The broader objective is to demonstrate that, as a form of cultural expression, the dogmatic-religious thought continued to play a transcendental role in the legitimation of a part of the modern rational scientific discourse, committed to defending the civilizing role and the physical and moral superiority of Western states, far beyond what the simple use of reason permitted.
Highlights
The triumph of the reason as the only way of natural knowledge was the most remarkable result of the paradigm shift occurred during the so-called Scientific Revolution, which reaches from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, and in which dogmatic reasoning lost progressively its role as the principal form of knowledge
There are few ideas so extended and rooted in different cultures such as those surrounding the Myths of Origin, which talk about a powerful, intangible and unknowable force, that is somehow responsible for the creation of the world in which we live, and by extension of the existence of the man. This form of cosmogony persisted in our culture far beyond the realm of religion (Scully, 2015)
Regardless of the level of orthodoxy or type of liturgy, the Christian tradition imposed a cosmogony of the origin of men gathered in the accounts of the Creation and the Flood (Genesis (1-10)), and gave them the category of Dogma
Summary
There are few ideas so extended and rooted in different cultures such as those surrounding the Myths of Origin, which talk about a powerful, intangible and unknowable force, that is somehow responsible for the creation of the world in which we live, and by extension of the existence of the man. The dogma states that only those who were gathered in the ark survived the Flood, and that Noah and his family were the closest of all humanities common ancestors Those first new men spread across the world and gradually shaped the different cultures and peoples who populate it. “Catholic philosophers concede that naturally of nothing, could nothing be done, but they have (as true), and we all have and believe that Divine omnipotence can do all things from nothing, without any matter, and we do not admire us that Plato and Aristotle were looking at the creation of the world within the limits of nature, because they know not God or His infinite power: but we (...) are instructed in the sacred faith, we firmly believe what faith teaches us (...) whoever wants to see rejected all the arguments and difficulties to and about Creation, could read Saint Thomas (...) and find some natural reasons in favour of our beliefs” (Martínez, 1606: 3)
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