Descartes' Bones

I received Russell Shorto's Descartes' Bones for Christmas. The full title is Descartes' Bones: A skeletal history of the conflict between faith and reason. And it is just that. Shorto uses the famous philosopher's bones to trace the history not only of the mortal remains but philosophy in general and the impact that the use of reason has had on science and faith.

Descartes died and was buried in Sweden in 1650, but his bones were disinterred in 1666 and sent back to France. His bones were seen as a symbol of the light of reason, but ironically they were also treated as holy relics. In this way Descartes embodied the fusing of ancient or medieval thought with the principles of the Enlightenment, like using reason despite where it took you. But even though Descartes worshiped reason he still maintained the existence of God, and he was joined in other scholars who dared not challenge the church's authority. Instead they used reason to try to prove God's existence.

During the French Revolution the bones were moved from a church to a national museum known as the French Pantheon to join other historical monuments. Yet just a few years after the decree to move the bones, the revolutionary fervor swayed against the philosopher. This is the biggest example of the fact that reason alone can be used or abused for many purposes. The revolution itself, originally formed based on principles of a government formed by its citizens, quickly turned bloody and unreasonable to the extreme.

Shorto gives a good description of how Descartes' ideas spread throughout Europe from the relatively free Netherlands and immediately created controversy. Later, his philosophy would influence great thinkers such as Spinoza and Kant. The influence of reason over religion would grow over the centuries, but there are obviously great conflicts to this day. I was struck by this quote towards the end of the book, by a Christian minister: "The human mind can be led astray. It is no basis for anything without God." This anti-reason attitude is not only prevalent today, it is highly contradictory. The minister is trying to reason away reason itself. He saw no irony in the fact that his own mind is as fallible as any other, more so because he refuses to apply any reason to his preconceived notions.

The author does a great job melding a historical detective story with the development of modern philosophy, while developing the symbolism of the bones: the way Descartes bridges ancient and modern thinking. To add to the symbolism and mystery, his skull was separated from the rest of his bones and has its own fascinating history. A-

The Varieties of Scientific Experience

The Varieties of Scientific Experience is a compilation of Carl Sagan's Gifford Lectures in 1985. In the lectures he presents a scientific view of the universe as well as a logical approach to the idea of God. The first lecture starts with images and descriptions of our solar system and the neighboring space around us. Sagan shows a great sense of awe at the vastness and variety of the universe.

In the following chapters he discusses the anthropic principle and the organic matter that is in the rest of the universe. He points out how pervasive organic compounds are throughout our solar system and beyond. Then he talks about something he is well known for, the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the search for intelligent life beyond Earth. He points out the difficulties of communication across the expanse of the cosmos. He also brings up the historical mistakes and blunders, such as the canals of Mars and the classical belief that the planets were kept in motion by God's hand.

In the last few lectures Sagan brings a logical and methodical view of the existence of God. He deftly debunks standard arguments for God's existence. He contrasts Western and Eastern views of the gods. Next he points out the biological basis for many religious experiences, namely chemicals such as epinephrine. Each scientific discovery like this makes God's domain more and more remote. He describes this well in chapter 3, "The Organic Universe": "So as science advances, there seems to be less and less for God to do. ... evolving before our eyes has been a God of the Gaps; that is, whatever it is we cannot explain lately is attributed to God. And then after a while, we explain it, and so that's no longer god's realm. The theologians give that one up, and it walks over onto the science side of the duty roster." I've never seen a more cogent explanation for the God of the Gaps.

I found the last section of questions and answers the most interesting. A dialogue of back and forth discussion is usually more interesting and a one-way lecture. The attendees at the lectures ask some interesting questions and he responds well. Apparently bringing a scientific approach to religion was controversial and didn't sit well with all the attendees. In a response to a questioner to proposed that "God is love", he gives a cogent rebuttal ending with the summary, "So my proposal is that we call reality 'reality,' that we call love 'love,' and not call either of them God, which has, while an enormous number of other meanings, not exactly those meanings." It is refreshing to read such a clear definition that does away with so much nonsense, which has a way of infecting discourse.

Though the book is short it is full of good information and thoughtful analysis. Sagan is known as a good science writer and he doesn't disappoint here, even though these we lectures given to a live audience. It would have been a fascinating experience to have been there. Many of the arguments he makes aren't new but he expresses them well and shows a depth of knowledge about astronomy and the rest of the universe of science. It's well worth the read. A-