Re: Anthropology of Science

• Messages sorted by: [ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]
• Next message: Read, Dwight ANTHRO: "Re: Science and Religion"
• Previous message: Nancy Leinwand: "Turkish Archaeological Permit Review"

In a message dated 95-10-07 01:26:15 EDT, Bob Graber wrote:

>I don't agree at all with B.M. Howell's claim that science is no less
>subject to social context than is religion.

Neither do I. One way to test this theory is to discover extraterrestrial
civilizations. If their laws of motion are incomprehensible to us, but they
believe in an omnipotent trinity who gave them the same ten commandments as
Moses got, then we modern thinkers must humbly admit to being wrong.

Bear in mind that one of several competing religions had to be chosen for the
example, but not one of several competing physical laws. Physical laws don't
compete with one another for long. If the law of karma were as resistant to
cultural context as Boyle's law, there might be a wee bit more global
uniformity in religion.

Tom Byers

• Next message: Read, Dwight ANTHRO: "Re: Science and Religion"
• Previous message: Nancy Leinwand: "Turkish Archaeological Permit Review"