Philosopher Juan Arana recalls at the University of Navarra that modern science has Christian roots

"The roots of modern science, physics, biology, Chemistry and modern cosmology are Christian. This is what Professor Juan Arana said at the University of Navarra during the lecture he gave on March 10 at the workshop 'Science and Faith in Dialogue', organized by the group 'Science, Reason and Faith' (CRYF) and the EcclesiasticalSchool of Philosophy of the academic center.

During his exhibition, entitled 'The Christian horizon of science and the response of Christians to its development', the Full Professor of the University of Seville explained that there is a perception of conflict between science and religion, because there is a widespread belief that modern science and Christian faith are incompatible. And he pointed out that this perception has been assumed by both critics of religion and defensive believers.

In this sense, he recalled that the great founders of science, such as Newton, Pascal or Boyle, were Christians and saw their scientific work as a way of glorifying God. "Faith was not an obstacle but an engine for the development of scientific thought," he said.

He emphasized that the "distancing that may have occurred between that cultural reality, of unequivocal Christian origin, and everything that has come afterwards, does not refer to what science intrinsically is and the results that science has been obtaining, but to a biased interpretation of its results and their meaning".

He also recalls that many theologians have abandoned the rational study of the universe as a way to know God. In this sense, Professor Arana advocates the recovery of natural theology as a necessary complement to spiritual interiority.

Vulnerability from neuroscience: source of virtue

Professor José Manuel Giménez Amaya, researcher of the CRYF group , gave a lecture in which he spoke about 'Scope and challenges of mind-brain relations in the context of the dialogue between neuroscience and Philosophy'.

He stated that a dialogue between neuroscience and Philosophy is necessary to correctly address the relationship between mind and brain, since experimental sciences are not able to answer fundamental questions about the human being.

He questioned the theory of neuroscientists who maintain that the mind is only a product of the brain and, consequently, deny the freedom and spirituality of the human being. He questioned in his exhibition this reductionism and considered that neuroscience is insufficient to fully explain consciousness and freedom.

He also affirmed that the core topic to interpret the results of neuroscience well is in philosophical anthropology: "An anthropological framework is necessary to give meaning to the data. That is why it is very important to carry out interdisciplinary work where scientists and philosophers come together".

He recalled that scientific reason, although necessary, is not enough on its own and that therefore "it is core topic to include an integrative vision of the body, the mind and the person". And finally he stressed that vulnerability is an essential anthropological feature that can also be seen from Neuroscience. Inspired by Alasdair MacIntyre, he proposed that vulnerability, far from being a deficiency, is a constitutive characteristic of the human condition and a source virtue: "Human beings need care and are called to care for others".