Science and Beliefs
In the September issue of the ABJ, Gordon Goeking says “We do know how this all got started. God the Creator made all of this world.” Thanks for the close reading of my article.
As a scientist, I generally keep separate what is regarded as “scientific knowledge,” and what may be called beliefs. All science is provisional; this is what we think we know today — tomorrow it may all be turned upside down. But beyond that, as a philosopher I would say: As humans we really have no way of knowing anything directly. Our whole world comes to us through our senses.
And by this I mean not only the external but internal ways of sensing things. Just as the bee sees ultraviolet light but we do not, there are many things in the world that we cannot sense directly ourselves. So I go on faith that what I see and feel is real enough, and act accordingly, knowing full well that I may be shown to be sadly mistaken.
Peter L Borst
Ithaca, New York
