Greater than 40 years in the past I first heard the story of Hypatia from Carl Sagan. She was one of many final scientists to work within the nice Library of Alexandria, a middle of science and studying within the historical world, and a repository for a lot of the world’s collective works in science and philosophy. She was a mathematician, astronomer, physicist and head of the college of Neo-Platonic philosophy in Alexandria. There, in 415 AD, because the Roman empire disintegrated and Christianity gained energy, the classical thoughts of the antiquity and the medieval thoughts of Christianity intersected–and a battle between scientific rationality and spiritual fanaticism adopted. Christianity would win and civilization would lose; the Darkish Ages have been born and Hypatia could be one in every of its first victims.
Right this moment the battle between superstition and science, between religion and motive, continues. It isn’t the spiritual fundamentalists who’re underneath assault however the scientists–harassed for demonstrating the proof for the whole lot from local weather change to evolution. What does this foretell? Will we return to a medieval world of witchcraft and sorcery? May we turn into a society that daunts the younger from studying science? May we return to what Sagan referred to as “the demon-haunted” world? (The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.)
Allow us to hope not. Allow us to all be guided the dual lights which illuminate the darkness–motive and compassion.
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This column is devoted to the philosophers and scientists all through historical past who’ve preserved and superior our information; and to Hypatia and all of the oppressed ladies of the world.
