科学与宗教的联姻:何以可能与何以可为?——重温“默顿命题”

The Unity of Science and Religion:What to Be and What to Do?

科学与宗教的联姻何以可能?"默顿命题"指出,清教与科学在许多方面是对立的,但在文化层面清教伦理与科学的精神气质却是交叉和耦合的。一方面,科学的伦理价值在于表现造物主的壮丽,科学的实用价值在于促进人类福利,这与清教精神特质中的两个主导信念"颂扬上帝"、"人之为善"不谋而合;另一方面,科学与清教暗含共同的背景假设以及共同信奉"经验主义和理性主义结合"的实验理性,这样,在17世纪的英国清教对科学具有明显的亲和性。科学的精神气质与作为社会主导价值的清教伦理的交融和会通,为科学与宗教的联姻奠定了逻辑基点,并推动了科学的合法化与制度化。重温"默顿命题",有助于"解蔽"宗教与科学的关系,实现科学与中国传统文化中生态智慧的联姻。

How can science and religion be united？ Merton＇ s proposition points out that Puritanism and sci-ence are opposite in many aspects, but in the cultural layer, they are interrelated and coupled. On one hand, the ethics and practical value of science integrates with the Puritan ethics, on the other hand, science and Puritanism share common assumptions and respect the empiricism and the rationalism. Reliving Merton＇ s proposition is of help to get rid of the inadequate ideas about religion and its relationship with science. As a result, science and Chinese religion can be united.