Religion and Science 2. The Views of Bertrand Russell
out to be indistinguishable from the pale ghost, which is all that remains of matter. Cause, which was the philosophical form of what physicists called force, has also become decrepit. I will not admit that it is dead, but it has nothing like the vigour of its earlier days.9 After life-long study and research he arrived at the conclusion that ‘non-demonstrable inference is also valid.’ (p. 204) Without this the whole system of science and day-to-day human life would be paralysed. According to Russell, science covers both the real world and the world as it is believed to be. The more science advances the greater the role of what is held to be credible. Because, in science there are some things known as observed facts, and everything beyond them is the scientific abstraction, which is inferred on the basis of observation. ‘The Philosopher is thus compelled to investigate the relation between observed facts and scientific abstractions. Universal skepticism cannot be refuted, but also cannot be accepted.’10 As for what has been accomplished by philosophical speculation, he says that his reason
~ 31 ~