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On Natural Theology

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Fact, Faith and Fiction in the Development of Science

Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science ((BSPS,volume 205))

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Abstract

It has been claimed that Natural Theology has been an incentive to the scientific investigation of nature and that, conversely, this investigation yields arguments in favour of it. Certainly some of the greatest scientists (Kepler, Boyle, Newton, Hutton) used their discipline to point to the power, wisdom and goodness of the Creator of all things.

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Notes

  1. Cf. R. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science. Edinburgh and London: Scottish Academic Press 1972. The first two chapters of these Gunning lectures given in 1969 at the University of Edinburgh touch problems of Natural Theology.

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  2. R. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science. Edinburgh and London: Scottish Academic Press 1972 pp. 1–6.

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  3. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XLVI, 117–118.

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  4. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XXXVII, 93.

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  5. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, 94.

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  6. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, 4.

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  7. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II,5.

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  8. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, VII, 20.

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  9. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XI, 29.

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  10. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XI, 32.

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  11. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, 29–30.

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  12. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XV, 42.

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  13. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XXXIII, 84.

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  14. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XLVI, 117–118.

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  15. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XXX, 16.

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  16. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, 77.

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  17. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, XLVII, 120ff.

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  18. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, LU, 130-LUI.

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  19. Cicero, De natura deorum, Bk.II, LIU, 133; LXII, 154.

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  20. Cf. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp.31–35.

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  21. J.D. Bernai, Science in History. London 1954, B.I, pp.30, 139, 149; B. Farrington, Greek Science: Its Meaning for Us. London 1944, pp.15, 55, 80. Both authors assumed a Marxist standpoint, but whereas Bernai remained a Stalinist diehard, Farrington had a much less dogmatic attitude, in particular in his later publications.

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  22. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp. 17–19.

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  23. Henricus Monantholius, Aristotelis Mechanica, Parisis 1599, Epistola dedicatoria fol.alllr. Cf. R. Hooykaas, Das Verhältnis von Physik und Mechanik in historischer Hinsicht, Wiesbaden 1963, p. 11. (reprint in: R. Hooykaas, Selected Studies in History of Science, Coimbra 1983, pp. 167–189).

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  24. Descartes’s position is more complicated. See Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp.42–44, and from the same author: ‘Experientia ac Ratione’, Huygens tussen Descartes en Newton, Leiden 1979.

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  25. Isaac Newton, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematical London 1713. Scholium Generale.

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  26. Henry Brougham, ‘Observations, Demonstrations and Experiments upon the Structure of the Cells of Bees’ (Appendix to the ‘Dialogues on Instinct’). In: Henry Brougham, Natural Theology, London - Glasgow 1856, pp.312–364; see also p. 191.

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  27. The Duke of Argyll, The Reign of Law, London 1867. Ch.III: ‘Contrivance a Necessity arising out of the Reign of Law’ Example in the machinery of flight, pp.128–180. Also chapter IV: ‘Apparent Exceptions to the Supremacy of Purpose’, pp. 181–216. ‘Here again the Laws of Nature are seen to be nothing but combinations of Force with a view to Purpose: combinations which indicate complete knowledge not only of what is, but of what is to be, and which foresees the End from the Beginning’ (p.216).

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  28. Charles Kingsley wrote on November 18th 1859 a letter of support to Charles Darwin, reprinted in: F. Darwin ed., The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, Vol.11, London 1887, q.v. p.287. See also: Charles Kingsley, His Letters and Memoirs of his Life (ed. by his wife) 7th abridged ed., Vol.11, London 1888, pp.198, 254, 258. ‘I am very busy working out points of natural theology, by the strange light of Huxley, Darwin and Lyell’ (Ch. Kingsley to F.D. Maurice, 1863 p. 155). See of Asa Gray: Darwiniana, Essays and Reviews pertaining to Darwinism. New York 1876 (contains art. Ill: ’Natural Selection not inconsistent with Natural Theology’ (I860).) Much information on this subject can be found in: J.R. Moore, The Post-Darwinian Controversies. A study of the Protestant Struggle to Come to Terms with Darwin in Great Britain and America 1870–1900, Cambridge 1979.

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  29. Johannes Kepler, Mysterium Cosmographicum, Tübingen 1596, chapter II. Reprinted in Werke (ed. Caspar) Vol. I, p.23ff.

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  30. Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzbach 1852: Stuttgart-Bad Canstadt 1966).

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  31. Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzbach 1852,Prologus, pp.27–28.

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  32. ‘Unde duo sint libri nobis dati a Deo, scilicet liber universitatis/ creaturarum sive/ liber Naturae; et alius est liber Scripturae sacrae.… quaelibet creatura non est nisi quaedam littera, digito Dei scripta; et ex pluribus creaturis, sicut ex pluribus litteris, est compositus liber unus, qui vocatur liber creaturarum&#x2019i>Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzbach 18,i>p.35). This passage shows a striking resemblance to article 2 of the Confessio Belgica (the 37 articles of the faith of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands); which shows that after 200 years the book was still current.

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  33. ‘Unde duo sint libri nobis dati a Deo, scilicet liber universitatis/ creaturarum sive/ liber Naturae; et alius est liber Scripturae sacrae.… quaelibet creatura non est nisi quaedam littera, digito Dei scripta; et ex pluribus creaturis, sicut ex pluribus litteris, est compositus liber unus, qui vocatur liber creaturarum’ Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzbach ,p.35). This passage shows a striking resemblance to article 2 of the Confessio Belgica (the 37 articles of the faith of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands); which shows that after 200 years the book was still cur,p.36.

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  34. > ‘Unde duo sint libri nobis dati a Deo, scilicet liber universitatis/ creaturarum sive/ liber Naturae; et alius est liber Scripturae sacrae.… quaelibet creatura non est nisi quaedam littera, digito Dei scripta; et ex pluribus creaturis, sicut ex pluribus litteris, est compositus liber unus, qui vocatur liber creaturarum’ Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzbac,, p.35). This passage shows a striking resemblance to article 2 of the Confessio Belgica (the 37 articles of the faith of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands); which shows that after 200 years the book was still c,, p.37.

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  35. ‘Unde duo sint libri nobis dati a Deo, scilicet liber universitatis/ creaturarum sive/ liber Naturae; et alius est liber Scripturae sacrae.… quaelibet creatura non est nisi quaedam littera, digito Dei scripta; et ex pluribus creaturis, sicut ex pluribus litteris, est compositus liber unus, qui vocatur liber creaturarum’ Ramundus Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis seit Liber Creaturarum (before 1436). (Facsimile of edition Sulzb,i>, p.35). This passage shows a striking resemblance to article 2 of the Confessio Belgica (the 37 articles of the faith of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands); which shows that after 200 years the book was still,i>, p.38: ‘… nullus potest videre nee legere per se in dicto libro semper aperto, nisi/ sit a Deo illuminatus et a peccato originali mundatus’

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  36. Romans 1:20

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  37. Hebrews 11:3

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  38. Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis, titulus XVII (p.25): ‘Quod ipsum esse Deus produxit totum esse mundum de non esse et de nihilo voluntarie et per modum artis et non naturaliter, nee ex necessitate’ (Not by necessity but by free will, not by natural generation but by artificial fabrication the world was created). These views go back to the biblical view of creation (Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp.7–9) and are also found with Tempier (p.32), Oresme (p.33) and Newton (pp. 19,49)

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  39. Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis, tit. XVII, p.26

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  40. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp. 10–12

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  41. Sabundus, Theologia Naturalis, tit.XVII, p.27: ‘Nee mundus potest per se stare et conservari absque praesentia incessabili Dei per unum momentum, immo statim rediret in non esse et in nihil totus mundus, quia de nihilo venit.&#x2019

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  42. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp.27–28: ‘… ipsum sustinet sine labore, quia volendo… ipsum continue creat, sicut sol suos radios continue creat in aère. Aliter si non produceret continue, radii deficerent: ita mundus esse desineret, si non a Deo continue crearetur et conservaretur.’

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  43. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.CLXXXVI, p257

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  44. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.XCVIII, p. 124; XCIX, p.128

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  45. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.XCVII, pp. 122,

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  46. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.CXCIV, p. 275

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  47. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.CCXI,p. 311

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  48. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.CCXIII,p.315

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  49. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, tit.CCXIII,p. 316

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  50. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science

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  51. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, pp317–318

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  52. Ibidem, p.319. Sabundus repeatedly stresses that all things in the universe have been made for man (’propter hominem’, pp.38, 12, 126, 129). But man has been made for God’s honour (p. 129). And God can be known by man, in whom He impresses his image as a seal is impressed in wax: ‘sicut sigillum imprimit totam suam imaginem in cera; ita Deus impressit totam suam imaginem in nomine’ (tit.CXXI, pp.163 and 292).

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  1. Utrecht, The Netherlands

    R. Hooykaas (Emeritus Professor of the History of Science)

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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Hooykaas, R. (1999). On Natural Theology. In: Fact, Faith and Fiction in the Development of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 205. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9295-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9295-6_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5248-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9295-6

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