Science/religion...(Re: Dewey, friendship, and . . problem solving , ???)

Angel M.Y. Lin (mylin who-is-at oise.on.ca)
Mon, 6 Nov 1995 15:13:02 -0500 (EST)

Edouard wrote an intriguing message on an off-beat but interesting
topic...

Science to me represents humans' attempt to attain control and
predictability, first over their physical and natural environment (the
physical and natural sciences) then their social environment (traditional
social sciences)... the key words are CONTROL and PREDICT...

The ancient Chinese entertain a notion of the "affectionate sky", and an
ideal of "being in communion with the sky"... it's not a notion of
control, predicting or manipulating... but relationship (you could call
it "friendship")... and the ideal person is one who has sky inside
her/him and sky has her/him inside "it"... it's a reunion of sky and
human...

I think the problem of the modern man and woman, perhaps, is too much an
obsession with control and predictability/certainty... some seek religion
to have some sense of "certainty" or control... but I feel that the
essense of spirituality is to be in relationship... to be connected with
oneself, with other humans and creatures, with nature, and with "The
Affectionate Sky" or God...

Angel

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Angel M.Y. Lin
Doctoral Candidate
Modern Language Centre
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
252 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M5S 1V6, Canada
E-Mail: MYLIN who-is-at OISE.ON.CA
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Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When ... we stand face to face in the cyber space? ...
--Adapted from: The Ballad of East and West, Rudyard Kipling
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