It is to say, though, that if you believe that science provides no basis for God, then you are almost obligated to conclude that science provides no basis for meaning and, therefore, life itself doesn’t have any. In other words, existential claims have no weight; all knowledge is scientific knowledge. Yet the paradox is that scientific methodology is the product of human hands and thus cannot reach some permanent truth. We build scientific theories to organize and manipulate the world, to reduce phenomena into manageable units. Science is based on reproducibility and manufactured objectivity. As strong as that makes its ability to generate claims about matter and energy, it also makes scientific knowledge inapplicable to the existential, visceral nature of human life, which is unique and subjective and unpredictable. Science may provide the most useful way to organize empirical, reproducible data, but its power to do so is predicated on its inability to grasp the most central aspects of human life: hope, fear, love, hate, beauty, envy, honor, weakness, striving, suffering, virtue.
~ Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air
Notes:
- Photo – Martin Stranka, More than This from I Found the Silence.
- Related Posts: Paul Kalanithi
Live & Learn 
The yin and yang…
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You can name the constellations and mark their places in the galaxy, but you’re still speechless when taking in the carpet of stars…
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Beautiful. Yes. YES.
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Hmm. It feels like talking apples and oranges, but I can’t quite tweeze it out.
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both are a part of explaining/experiencing/making sense of the universe.
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A delicate balance, yes….
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According to Muriel Rukeyser ,
“The universe is made of stories, not of atoms”
I say it’s two worlds walking hand in hand. One cannot go on without the other.
Matters of the spirit are beyond scientific measures.
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Two worlds walking hand in hand. Love that.
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I just started this book. It is going to be raw and good. Thanks for the quote.
Peace
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I loved the book Carrie. Hope you enjoy it.
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