Religion and Science
2. The Views of Bertrand Russell
~ 31 ~
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
