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e　a　few　million　years　ago；　however　dangerous　it　has　bee　today。　Even　members　of　hunter…gatherer　groups—as　far　from　the　technological　feats　of　our　present　global　civilization　as　it　is　possible　for　humans　to　be—solemnly　describe　their　little　band；　whichever　it　is；　as　〃the　people。〃　Everyone　else　is　something　different；　something　less　than　human。

If　this　is　our　natural　way　of　viewing　the　world；　then　it　should　occasion　no　surprise　that　every　time　we　make　a　naive　judgment　about　our　place　in　the　Universe—one　untempered　by　careful　and　skeptical　scientific　examination—we　almost　always　opt　for　the　centrality　of　our　group　and　circumstance。　We　want　to　believe；　moreover；　that　these　are　objective　facts；　and　not　our　prejudices　finding　a　sanctioned　vent。

So　it's　not　much　fun　to　have　a　gaggle　of　scientists　incessantly　haranguing　us　with　〃You're　ordinary；　you're　unimportant　your　privileges　are　undeserved；　there's　nothing　special　about　you。〃　Even　unexcitable　people　might；　after　a　while；　grow　annoyed　at　this　incantation　and　those　who　insist　on　chanting　it。　It　almost　seems　that　the　scientists　are　getting　some　weird　satisfaction　out　of　putting　humans　down。　Why　can't　they　find　a　way　in　which　we're　superior？　Lift　our　spirits！　Exalt　us！　In　such　debates　science；　with　its　mantra　of　discouragement；　feels　cold　and　remote；　dispassionate；　detached；　unresponsive　to　human　needs。

And；　again；　if　we're　not　important；　not　central；　not　the　apple　of　God's　eye；　what　is　implied　for　our　theologically　based　moral　codes？　The　discovery　of　our　true　bearings　in　the　Cosmos　was　resisted　for　so　long　and　to　such　a　degree　that　many　traces　of　the　debate　remain；　sometimes　with　the　motives　of　the　geocentrists　laid　bare。　Here；　for　example；　is　a　revealing　unsigned　mentary　in　the　British　review　The　Spectator　in　1892：

＇I＇t　is　certain　enough　that　the　discovery　of　the　heliocentric　motion　of　the　planets　which　reduced　our　earth　to　its　proper　〃insignificance〃　in　the　solar　system；　did　a　good　deal　to　reduce　to　a　similar　but　far　from　proper　〃insignificance〃　the　moral　principles　by　which　the　predominant　races　of　the　earth　had　hitherto　been　guided　and　restrained。　Part　of　this　effect　was　no　doubt　due　to　the　evidence　afforded　that　the　physical　science　of　various　inspired　writers　was　erroneous　instead　of　being　infallible；…a　conviction　which　unduly　shook　the　confidence　felt　even　in　their　moral　and　religious　teaching。　But　a　good　deal　of　it　was　due　only　to　the　mere　sense　of　〃insignificance〃　with　which　man　has　contemplated　himself；　since　he　has　discovered　that　he　inhabits　nothing　but　a　very　obscure　corner　of　the　universe；　instead　of　the　central　world　round　which　sun；　moon；　and　stars　alike　revolved。　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　man　may　feel　himself；　and　has　often　felt　himself；　a　great　deal　too　insignificant　to　be　the　object　of　any　particular　divine　training　or　care。　If　the　earth　be　regarded　as　a　sort　of　ant…hill；　and　the　life　and　death　of　human　beings　as　the　life　and　death　of　so　many　ants　which　run　into　and　out　of　so　many　holes　in　search　of　food　and　sunlight；　it　is　quite　certain　that　no　adequate　importance　will　be　attached　to　the　duties　of　human　life；　and　that　a　profound　fatalism　and　hopelessness；　instead　of　new　hopefulness；　will　attach　to　human　effort　。　。　。

＇F＇or　the　present　at　least；　our　horizons　are　quite　vast　enough　。　。　。　；　till　we　can　get　used　to　the　infinite　horizons　we　already　have；　and　not　lose　our　balance　so　much　as　we　usually　do　in　contemplating　them；　the　yearning　for　still　wider　horizons　is　premature。



WHAT　DO　WE　REALLY　WANT　from　philosophy　and　religion？　Palliatives？　Therapy？　fort？　Do　we　want　reassuring　fables　or　an　understanding　of　our　actual　circumstances？　Dismay　that　the　Universe　does　not　conform　to　our　preferences　seems　childish。　You　might　think　that　grown…ups　would　be　ashamed　to　put　such　disappointments　into　print。　The　fashionable　way　of　doing　this　is　not　to　blame　the　Universe—which　seems　truly　pointless—but　rather　to　blame　the　means　by　which　we　know　the　Universe；　namely　science。

George　Bernard　Shaw；　in　the　preface　to　his　play　St。　Joan；　described　a　sense　of　science　preying　on　our　credulity；　forcing　on　us　an　alien　worldview；　intimidating　belief：

In　the　Middle　Ages；　people　believed　that　the　Earth　was　flat；　for　which　they　had　at　least　the　evidence　of　their　senses：　we　believe　it　to　be　round；　not　because　as　many　as　one　per　cent　of　us　could　give　the　physical　reason　for　so　quaint　a　belief；　but　because　modern　science　has　convinced　us　that　nothing　that　is　obvious　is　true；　and　that　everything　that　is　magical；　improbable；　extraordinary；　gigantic；　microscopic；　heartless；　or　outrageous　is　scientific。

A　more　recent　and　very　instructive　example　is　Understanding　the　Present：　Science　and　the　Soul　of　Modern　Man；　by　Bryan　Appleyard；　a　British　journalist。　This　book　makes　explicit　what　many　people　feel；　all　over　the　world；　but　are　too　embarrassed　to　say。　Appleyard's　candor　is　refreshing。　He　is　a　true　believer　and　will　not　let　us　slough　over　the　contradictions　between　modern　science　and　traditional　religion：

〃Science　has　taken　away　our　religion；〃　he　laments。　And　what　sort　of　religion　is　it　that　he　longs　for？　One　in　which　〃the　human　race　was　the　point；　the　heart；　the　final　cause　of　the　whole　system。　It　placed　our　selves　definitively　upon　the　universal　map。〃　。　。　。　〃We　were　the　end；　the　purpose；　the　rational　axle　around　which　the　great　aetherian　shells　rotated。〃　He　longs　for　〃the　universe　of　Catholic　orthodoxy〃　in　which　〃the　cosmos　is　shown　to　be　a　machine　constructed　around　the　drama　of　salvation〃—by　which　Appleyard　means　that；　despite　explicit　orders　to　the　contrary；　a　woman　and　a　man　once　ate　of　an　apple；　and　that　this　act　of　insubordination　transformed　the　Universe　into　a　contrivance　for　operant…conditioning　their　remote　descendants。

By　contrast；　modern　science　〃presents　us　as　accidents。　We　are　caused　by　the　cosmos；　but　we　are　not　the　cause　of　it。　Modem　man　is　not　finally　anything；　he　has　no　role　in　creation。〃　Science　is　〃spiritually　corrosive；　burning　away　ancient　authorities　and　traditions。　It　cannot　really　co…exist　with　anything。〃　。　。　。　〃Science；　quietly　and　inexplicitly；　is　talking　us　into　abandoning　our　selves；　our　true　selves。〃　It　reveals　〃the　mute；　alien　spectacle　of　nature。〃　。　。　。　〃Human　beings　cannot　live　with　such　a　revelation。　The　only　morality　left　is　that　of　the　consoling　lie。〃　Anything　is　better　than　grappling　with　the　unbearable　burden　of　being　tiny。

In　a　passage　reminiscent　of　Plus　IX；　Appleyard　even　decries　the　fact　that　〃a　modern　democracy　can　be　expected　to　include　a　number　of　contradictory　religious　faiths　which　are　obliged　to　agree　on　a　certain　limited　number　of　general　injunctions；　but　no　more。　They　must　not　burn　each　other's　places　of　worship；　but　they　may　deny；　even　abuse　each　other's　God。　This　is　the　effective；　scientific　way　of　proceeding。〃

But　what　is　the　alternative？　Obdurately　to　pretend　to　certainty　in　an　uncertain　world？　To　adopt　a　forting　belief　system；　no　matter　how　out　of　kilter　with　the　facts　it　is？　If　we　don't　know　what's　real；　how　can　we　deal　with　reality？　For　practical　reasons；　we　cannot　live　too　much　in　fantasyland。　Shall　we　censor　one　another's　religions　and　burn　down　one　another's　places　of　worship？　How　can　we　be　sure　which　of　the　thousands　of　human　belief　systems　should　bee　unchallenged；　ubiquitous；　mandatory？

These　quotations　betray　a　failure　of　nerve　before　the　Universe　its　grandeur　and　magnificence；　but　especially　its　indifference。　Science　has　taught　us　that；　because　we　have　a　talent　for　deceiving　ourselves；　subjectivity　may　not　freely　reign。　This　is　one　reason　Appleyard　so　mistrusts　science：　It　seems　too　reasoned；　measured；　and　impersonal。　Its　conclusions　derive　from　the　interrogation　of　Nature；　and　are　not　in　all　cases　predesigned　to　satisfy　our　wants。　Appleyard　deplores　moderation。　He　yearns　for　inerrant　doctrine；　release　from　the　exercise　of　judgment；　and　an　obligation　to　believe　but　not　to　question。　He　has　not　grasped　human　fallibility。　He　recognizes　no　need　to　institutionalize　error…correcting　machinery　either　in　our　social　institutions　or　in　our　view　of　the　Universe。

This　is　the　anguished　cry　of　the　infant　when　the　Parent　does　not　e。　But　most　people　eventually　e　to　grips　with　reality；　and　with　the　painful　absence　of　parents　who　will　absolutely　guarantee　that　no　harm　befalls　the　little　ones　so　long　as　they　do　what　they　are　told。　Eventually　most　people　find　ways　to　acmodate　to　the　Universe—especially　when　given　the　tools　to　think　straight。

〃All　that　we　pass　on　to　our　children〃　in　the　scientific　age；　Appleyard　plains；　〃is　the　conviction　that　nothing　is　true；　final　or　enduring；　including　the　culture　from　which　they　sprang。〃　How　right　he　is　about　the　inadequacy　of　our　legacy。　But　would　it　be　enriched　by　adding　baseless　certainties？　He　scorns　〃the　pious　hope　that　science　and　religion　are　independent　realms　which　can　easily　be　separated。〃　Instead；　〃science；　as　it　is　now；　is　absolutely　not　patible　with　religion。〃

But　isn't　Appleyard　really　saying　that　some　religions　now　find　it　difficult　to　make　unchallenged　pronouncements　on　the　nature　of　the　world　that　are　straight…out　false？　We　recognize　that　even　revered　religious　leaders；　the　products　of　their　time　as　we　are　of　ours；　may　have　made　mistakes。　Religions　contradict　one　another　on　small　matters；　such　as　whether　we　should　put　on　a　hat　or　take　one　off　on　entering　a　house　of　worship；　or　whether　we　should　eat　beef　and　eschew　pork　or　the　other　way　around；　all　the　way　to　the　most　central　issues；　such　as　whether　there　are　no　gods；　one　God；　or　many　gods。

Science　has　brought　many　of　us　to　that　state　in　which　Nathaniel　Hawthorne　found　Herman　Melville：　〃He　can　neither　believe；　nor　be　fortable　in　his　unbelief。〃　Or　Jean…Jacques　Rousseau：　〃They　had　not　persuaded　me；　but　they　had　troubled　me。　Their　arguments　had　shaken　me　without　ever　convincing　me　。　。　。　It　is　hard　to　prevent　oneself　from　believing　what　one　so　keenly　desires。〃　As　the　belief　systems　taught　by　the　secular　and　religious　authorities　are　undennined；　respect　for　authority　in　general　probably　does　erode。　The　lesson　is　clear：　Even　politics＇　leaders　must　be　wary　of　embracing　false　doctrine。　This　is　not　a　failing　of　science；　but　one　of　its　graces。

Of　course；　worldview　consensus　is　forting；　while　clashes　of　opinion　may　be　un