In 2014, Moment magazine published an extraordinary article titled “How Has Jewish Thought Influenced Science?” Extraordinary in that Moment solicited responses to the question from more than two-dozen eminent Jewish scientists, religious scholars, and other thinkers. The compilation of insights that resulted was both enlightening and thought-provoking. It’s a lengthy article but we highly recommend taking the time to read it.
Quote: “[A]ccording to the great German sociologist Max Weber, it was Judaism that first led to what he calls Western rationality, which made science possible, and the reason it did so was because Bereshit Chapter One [the first chapter in the Torah] is the first act of demythologizing the universe.” — Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the U.K.
Quote: “The Greeks believed that discussion leads to advancement, and this is echoed in Jewish culture. It is an integral part of our civilization to ask questions.” — Susan Greenfield, professor of pharmacology
Quote: “Jewish philosophy tells us that the world is a single, unified system. This means that the universe makes sense — that one part shouldn’t conflict with another — and allows for deductive reasoning.” — Gerald Schroeder, nuclear physicist
Source: Momentmag.com
Read “How Has Jewish Thought Influenced Science?” from Moment magazine. >>
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