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VALUES IN SCIENCE
EDUCATION ―A HOLISTIC
PERSPECTIVE
-M.S.Srinivasan Senior Research
Associate Sri Aurobindo Society
Published in International
Journal of Education and
Research0
Science and Technology is one of
the most powerful and formative
forces of our modern age. Much
has been said and written on the
beneficent and destructive
potentialities of this great power of
our age. But what is not fully
recognized is that much of the
destructive impact of modern
science could have been minimized
and its beneficent potential
maximized if the modern mind
has bestowed a greater attention to
the task of shaping the right values
in science education. For the
scientific method is only an
intellectual framework and
technology is just a tooled. How
they are used depends on the
values of their users. And these
values to be truly effective have to
become integral part of science
education. This article examines
the problem of shaping values in
science education in a holistic
perspective which means science
education is viewed in a systematic
perspective as an important subset
of the prevailing culture or
environment of science. In this
article the word “Science” is used
in a broader sense to include the
physical and life sciences social
and applied sciences and their
applied versions like technology.
Values of Science
If values are defined as guiding
ideals or principles of action or
enquiry Science is not value-
neutral as some people think.
Quest for truth and understanding
of the laws of Nature are the
central values of Science. As the
Noble Laureate in physics Charles
H. Townse points out “Science is
the search for truth it is meant to
understand nature”. Townes C.H
2003. The scientific mind of man
at its best and highest has pursued
the following values ideals or
principles: Quest for Truth and
Understanding the laws of Nature.
v Unbiased impartial and
impersonal objectivity and a
firm foothold on facts of life.
v Freedom from personal
biases prejudices and
preferences
v Openness to new ideas and
willingness to change
correct and modify our
present opinions ideas or
conviction based on new
facts or evidence or progress
in knowledge
v Constant questioning of
established ideas
assumptions or paradigms
v Intellectual rectitude in
using reason which means
to be vigilant that reason is
not used or driven
consciously subconsciously
or half-consciously to justify
our preconceived notions
conclusions preferences or
desires
v Persistent seeking for the
how and why of thinking
and for the deeper causes
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laws and patterns behind
observed phenomenon
v Not to be satisfied with the
status-quo and a relentless
push towards the uncharted
territories of knowledge.
These are the values or qualities
which constitute the scientific
temper and each of them have to
be internalized in the mind of the
student of science through
illustrative examples from the
scientific and intellectual history of
the world and the biographies of
great scientists. One of the ironies
of science education in India is that
while the student is stuffed with a
garbage of information concepts
laws and equation not much
attention is given to inculcate these
basic values qualities attitudes and
methodology of science which
creates the true scientific temper.
And when we move from pure
science to applied science or
technology here also it is not
value-neutral. The applied
sciences have always pursued
values like utility efficiency
productivity and innovation. Here
again these values are pursued
only in business industry and in
research and development
laboratories but not in technical
education. Most of the
technological education in India
except perhaps in some premier
institutions are predominantly
theoretical. For example if I am an
undergraduate student of electrical
engineering I lean about
electromagnetic theory
electrostatic theory electric
machine theory but after passing
the course and enter into an
industry I do not know how to
trace even a simple fault like a
blown-out fuse or a flowed push-
button in a motor
But what modern science and
technology education is lacking is a
positive and definite ethical and
spiritual orientation. If we
consider this ethico-spiritual
orientation as the essence of values
then modern science is value-
neutral. Truth is a spiritual values
and the quest for truth gives a
certain spiritual orientation to
science. But without a more
comprehensive ethico-
philosophical foundation which
leads to the beneficent use of truth
for the highest well being and
fulfillment of the human and
terrestrial life a mere intellectual
quest for truth doesn’t have
sufficient moral and spiritual force
to prevent the misuse of “truth” for
wrong and selfish ends. This is a
major lacuna in modern science
and science education which has to
be corrected if we want science and
technology to become a beneficent
goddess showering her blessings
on humanity and not a
Frankenstein’s monster pouncing
upon his own maker. As Richard
R. Ernst a Noble Laureate in
Chemistry states with conviction:
“I am convinced that by purely
rational thinking based on the
value-free laws of science we
cannot find ultimate solutions and
we cannot create a lasting global
order that prevents violent
conflicts. Science and technology
alone cannot solve the problems of
the new millennium. We need
additional guidelines for our
actions for the selection of our
research projects and research
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goals. These guidelines have to do
with ethics with philosophy and
faith” Ernst R.R 2001
The first step in bringing values
to science education is to enlarge
and broaden the scope and
meaning and methodology of
science we have to include this
broadening of the horizons of the
human mind as an important part
of the values of science education.
This value or virtue acquires a
special significance for modern
science because of its increasing
tendency to specialize in more and
more narrow domains of
knowledge.
The student of science has to be
awakened to the fact that science is
not merely a method or technique
nor can it be confined to the
laboratory equipments university
or the various streams of scientific
knowledge like physical life social
or psychological science. Science is
in its essence way of thinking
which can be applied to any
activity of life. This is something
which is recognized by all matured
scientific thinker. As a standard
textbook on sociology edited by
two leading sociologists point out:
“Science is not to be defined by
a single method or routine such as
a the before-after experiment or the
use of special implements such as
glass tubing or lenses. Each of he
old and established sciences has
developed more or less distinctive
technique instrument and
routines. The specialized routines
and equipment of the scientific
enterprise which vary from
discipline to discipline and from
time to time should not be
confused with science itself. All
science is characterized more
nearly an attitude an approach a
point of view then by a special
technique.” Broom.L Selznick. P
1963.
This broader perspective on the
scientific method has to be
imparted to the learner through
illustrative examples. One of the
examples could be the great
creative work of Fredrick Taylor
the founder of Scientific
Management. Taylor has no
formal education in science or
technology. But he is one the most
creative scientific minds of our
modern age. He is a pioneer in
applying the scientific method for
organizing a social system like an
industry. Through a rigorous
process of observation testing
experimentation Taylor evolved a
system of thought and practice
which gave birth to an entirely new
field of modern knowledge called
Management. Taylor constantly
emphasized in his writing that
scientific management is not
merely a method or technique but a
way of thinking. Its aim said
Taylor was to create a “mental
revolution” in the thought of
owners managers and workers of
industries. George C.S 1974
So the student of science has to
be made aware that scientific
method is not the sole prerogative
of the professional scientists
working in the laboratory nor the
scientific community is the only
authentic inquirers of truth. Not all
professional scientists are good
scientific inquirers. On the other
hand there may be many who are
not professional scientists like for
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example Journalists detectives
historians or executives
entrepreneurs but who may
pursue their profession with as
much scientific thoroughness as
any scientist. As Susan Hack
writes in Times Literary
Supplement: ‘-----so successful
have the natural science been the
words like “science” and
“scientific” are often used on
honorifically as all purpose terms
epistemic praise unfortunately
unfortunately this honorific
disguises the otherwise obvious
fact that not all or only scientists
are good honest thorough
imaginative inquirers. Some
scientists are lazy some
incompetent some unlucky a few
crooked and plenty of historians
journalists and detectives are good
inquirers.”Hack.S
There is another category of
inquirers who are perhaps as
scientific in their quest as any great
scientist but they are not
recognized as such by the
traditional scientific establishment.
They are the yogis seers and sages
of the eastern spiritual traditions.
Not all eastern spiritual traditions
and paths can be called “Scientific”
For example an unquestioning
faith in the Guru and God is an
integrate part of the spiritual
traditions of the East But in general
eastern Yogis pursued a scientific
and systematic approach in
understanding the inner worlds of
consciousness and applying it to
the psychological and spiritual
developments of the individual.
This is the essence of Indian Yoga
which as Sri Aurobindo points out
“nothing but applied
psychology”
10
Recently some of
the modern scientific thinkers are
beginning to recognise this
scientific dimension of eastern
spirituality and admit that
spirituality can be also as much
scientific as any other quest. For
example as the well-known
exponent and writer on
transpersonal psychology Ken
Wilbur states:
“These eastern disciplines such
as Vedanta or Zen are not theories
philosophies psychologies or
religions — rather they are
primarily a set of experiments in
the strictly scientific sense… To
refuse to examine the results of
such a scientific experiments
because one dislikes the data so
obtained is in itself a most
unscientific gesture”Wilbur 1997
This bring us to the question of
validation can these inner spiritual
discoveries be verified Are they
not subjective The answer is yes
they can be verified provided we
are willing to follow the inner
discipline fulfill the inner
conditions and develop the inner
moral and psychological capacity.
This inner discipline or condition
or capacity may be difficult to
follow or fulfill for the average
man. And in the present condition
of human evolution these spiritual
realisations and experiences may
not be normal but exceptional
achieved only by a small group of
mystics and yogis. But this applies
to any scientific theory or
phenomenon.
For example not every Tom one
can verify Einstein’s theory or the
existence of an electron. To verify
these scientific truths requires
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above average scientific and
mathematical abilities which have
to be acquired by education study
and training. Similarly to verify
the spiritual truths discovered by
mystics requires a certain moral
and psychological preparation and
the capacity for introversion which
have to be acquired by following a
psychological and spiritual
disciplines. However even before
attaining these great spiritual
realisation a sincere seeker in the
spiritual path can experience and
verify some of the intermediate
psycho-spiritual benefits like inner
peace or detachment equality
endurance power of faith and
prayer self knowledge intuition
visions and experiences of the
subliminal worlds in the course of
his inner journey to the goal. And
these inner psychological and
spiritual experiences are not
entirely subjective. These are a
remarkable similarity between the
inner experiences of mystics
separated by space and time and
belonging to different religions and
cultures. For example the
experiences of Vedanthic seers of
India are very similar to that of
German – Christian mystic Meister
Echart. Similarly there is a striking
correspondence between the
experiences of the devotional
mystics of the Sufi Christian and
Hindu tradition…
We are now brought to the
strength and limitations of the
scientific method. The advantage
of the scientific method lies in its
emphasis on facts experimentation
and application and its pragmatic
orientation to the quest for
knowledge. Its weakness lies in its
too heavy emphasis on external or
empirical facts and analytical
reason which shuts off the scientific
world from vast domains of
knowledge which are beyond the
senses and reason and prevents the
flowering of other faculties which
may lead to a deeper and more
holistic insight into the truth of
things. To overcome these
limitations we have to retain the
essence of the scientific method but
enlarge its scope. The essence of
the scientific method is a triune
process. First is the process of
observation or formulating the
problem. Second is a process
which leads to insight into the
underlying patterns or laws behind
the data or the nature of the
problem or the solution. Third is
the process of testing validation or
practical application of the insight
for the development progress and
well being of the individual and
the collectivity. We may also
broaden the scope of the method to
include the inner being and the
outer life of man or Nature or in
other words all the three processes
can be performed either within the
confines of a scientific laboratory
or in the outer world of Nature or
in the laboratory of our own
consciousness or in the outer life of
work action and relationship.
The process and instruments of
insight need not be limited to
deductive and inductive logic or
analytical reason. We may include
other faculties like imagination and
intuition and the emotional
aesthetic and philosophic
intelligence. Why should we limit
our potentialities of knowledge by
confining our consciousness to a
single faculty Why not we use
every faculty of knowledge
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available or manifest in us in our
quest for truth and knowledge
Why should we even restrict the
possibilities of knowledge to the
faculties of an individual Why not
we base our research on the highest
collective wisdom of humanity
The other important factor which
the student of science must know
is the actual process of scientific
discovery and role of intuition
science. The traditional scientific
methodology of Observation
Classification Analysis and
Hypothesis is useful as a general
framework for understanding the
process of science and therefore has
to be taught to every student of
science. However when we study
the biographies or accounts of great
scientists we find the actual process
of scientific enquiry which leads
to discovery never follows the
rigidly logical and graded
methodology. This actual process
runs through trial and error
frustration and disappointment of
barren effort patient and persistent
plodding flights of imagination a
bit of luck and chance and at the
end of it a leap of intuition and joy
of discovery. It is now beginning
to be recognized that behind
almost every great scientific
discovery there is a leap of
intuition. As the great physicist
and mathematician Henry Poincare
says “It is by logic we prove it is
by intuition we invent---logic
remains barren without intuition”.
And Poincare recounts in one of his
books how he had a total insight
into an obstruce mathematical
problem when he was traveling in
a bus suddenly he saw the whole
theory in an instant Sudershan
ECG. This real process of
scientific enquiry shows that mere
intellectual brilliance of the logical
or rational mind is not enough to
become a great or even a good
scientist.
Other psychological qualities
like persistence and patience
which are qualities of the will and
the rational faculties like intuition
are also needed. Here comes the
importance of some of the ethical
and psychological disciplines of
Indian yoga like equanimity under
all circumstances disinterested
pursuit of truth without seeking for
personal gains renunciation of the
fruits of action and mental silence
for receiving intuitions. All these
attitudes values and practices of
Indian yoga can be of great help in
moulding the inner character
required for a successful scientific
career.
The attitude of critical
questioning is an important quality
of the scientific temper or
character. But the student of
science should not hesitate to apply
this attitude to the dogmas and
prejudices within his or her own
field of science. For there is within
the scientific establishment
orthodoxies which can be as
dogmatic and rigid as religious
fanaticism. As the leading bio
mathematician Roger U. Jean
points out: “In many cases our
official science h as become a
religion in the meaning of the
word with us credos and its
priests.” For example when the
eminent biologist Ruper
Sheldrake’s “A New Science of
Life” which presents a vision of
life which goes against the
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traditional scientific theories was
published it received two
contrasting reviews from two
reputed science journals. While the
journal “New Scientist”
complemented the book as an
important scientific enquiry into
the nature of the physical and
biological life” the other journal
Nature the prestigious citadel of
scientific orthodoxy condemned it
as “candidate for burning”.
Sheldrake. R 1997 Is this attitude
any different from the fanatic
religious clerics who burnt
Giordono Bruno and Joan of Arc in
the stakes
The Present Condition and
Emerging Trends in Science
All values proceed from a
specific psychological and spiritual
orientation a metaphysical
mindset. So the best way to change
or initiate new values is to change
the metaphysical mindset. Let us
now briefly examine one of the
main reason for the ethical
neutrality of modern science is that
at a certain stage in its evolution
there was a hardening of its mind
and heart and its philosophical
orientation towards materialism.
And with the advent of Industrial
Revolution the culture of science
had become more and more
materialistic utilitarian
fragmented and indifferent to
higher values.
For example at the beginning of
the twentieth century the noted
biologist Joseph Needham who
was late converted to the organic
view of Chinese philosophy wrote
“In science man is a machine or if
he is not he is nothing at all”.
Capra.F 2001 Then came the
momentous discoveries of
quantum physics which shook the
foundations of the materialistic
philosophy of science.
In the quantum world-view the
world appeared like a whirl of
energy of Shiva’s dance and their
whirl of energy in turn seemed to
be more like mathematical waves
rather than physical movements.
This prompted scientist like James
Jeans to speculate that world is
more like a Thought rather than a
Machine. Some pioneers of new
physics like Erwin schroedinger
found parallels between the
discoveries of quantum theory and
the insights of eastern philosophy.
This lead to a spate of popular
books on this subject of new
physics and mysticism and opened
a few windows in the scientific
mind of humanity to the realms of
the Spirit. In the realm of
technology the ominous
possibilities of the weapons of
Mass Destruction and the advent of
Green movement have awakened
the more sensitive section of the
intelligentia to the perils of misuse
of science and technology. The
science of ecology and the
environmental movement has
given a more positive ethical and
philosophical orientation to science
and technology. But still there is
not yet a comprehensive rethinking
on the cultural philosophical and
methodological foundation of
modern science and science
education. A good beginning has
been made by the well-known
physician and author Fritjof Capra
in his book Turning Point which
examines critically some of the
cultural basis of modern science.
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Many such attempts are needed for
evolving a new foundation for a
future science. A large portion of
the scientific community in spite of
all the new develops in scientific
thought is afflicted with the early
materialistic legacy of science and
remains atheistic materialistic
empirical or ambivalent uncertain
and confused about the moral or
spiritual implication of the new
thinking in science. Some of them
keeping their religious or spiritual
belief in private but maintaining
the traditional scientific attitude in
their professional or public life. As
Mathematician and an authority on
biomathematics Roger U Jean
states:
What about our science today--
--It always surprises me to see
specialized scientists with infantile
religious views thinking of religion
as magic and desperately holding
stiff positions instead of being open
to alternatives”. Jean.R 2001 And
the Nobel Laureate Chemist
Richard R. Ernst brings out this
ambivalent attitude of the scientific
community with admirable clarity:
“Many of us scientist have a
split and ambivalent relation to the
spiritual aspects of existence.
Some of us are completely
disinterested in religion and
spirituality and refuse to even
think about these subjects. Others
are pronounced atheist finding
only contradiction between belief
and knowledge. A few are
agnostics claiming that proof of the
existence of super-natural forces is
forever out of our reach. And
finally many scientist lead truly a
double life adhering to a rather
simple minded belief on Sunday
and acting in a strictly rational
manner on week days”Ernst RR
2001
If a scientist openly states in
favour the spiritual view or
approach he is either frowned
upon or considered as outspoken
in the scientific community. For
example in an interview with
Nobel Laureate scientists Werner
Arbour when the interview
mentions some of the views of
Einstein on science and religious
the Nobel Laureate comments
cautiously “some of his views are
very outspoken”.Singh. T.D 2002
And Albert Einstein is perhaps the
first among the later scientists to
break this ambivalent attitude and
speak openly in favour of a
reconciliation between science and
spirituality. His famous and oft-
quoted remarks “Science without
Religion is blind. Religion without
Science is Lame” sums up the
Einsteinian point of view on the
subject of religion. There are many
more such statements by this great
scientific mind which boldly calls
for incorporating the spiritual view
in Science like for example the
following statements.
“I assert that the cosmic
religious experience is the strongest
and the noblest driving force
behind scientific research.”
Prabupada 2002
“The most beautiful and most
profound emotion we can
experience is in the sensation of the
mystical. It is a shower of all
science.”Singh TD 2003
Thus with the advent of Einstein
and other pioneers of quantum
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physics like Erwin schoredinger or
Werner Hisenberg openly
advocating a synthesis of science
and spirituality more and more
scientists are veering round to the
view that science should open its
doors to the spiritual paradigm. As
a leading neuroseistist Karl H.
Pribram sums up this new
development in
science.PribramK 2002
“Over the waning years of the
twentieth century a return of
interest in holistic issues has begun
to emerge. Today there are
stirrings especially in quantum
physics and cognitive sciences that
bode well for such renewal of
science in a holistic and wholesome
modus operandi. I think that in
this century science will be
admitted to the spiritual aspect and
vice versa.”
For example John Eocles the
Nobel Laureate in Medicine and
Physiology use strong words when
he says “I maintain that the human
mystery is incredibly demeaned by
scientific reductionism with its
claim in promissory materialism to
account for all the spiritual worlds
in terms of patterns of neuronal
activity” Singh. T.D 2002 and
declares boldly”. This belief must
be classed as superstition----we
have to recognize that we are
spiritual beings with souls existing
in spiritual worlds with bodies and
brains existing in material worlds”.
And another Nobel Laureate
scientist and inventor of Laser has
no hesitation in saying “In this
search for truth it will be certainly
beneficial if scientists can
incorporate spiritual principle in
their scientific works”.
Towards Integral Unity and
Wellness
This new turn of thought in
contemporary science paves the
way for a reorientation of the
mindset and values of science and
science education. All these new
and higher thought in science has
to become part of science education
We may also include the thoughts
of great moral and spiritual leaders
of humanity past and present on
the higher aims and values life and
topics related to science like
evolution ecology learning and
the role or aim of science and
technology in the fulfillment of the
evolutionary destiny of our planet.
In other words the student of
science and technology has to be
awakened to the ecological moral
and spiritual values and aims of
human and terrestrial evolution
and the role of science and
technology in fulfilling these
higher aims. However this
awakening to be truly effective or
creative has to be achieved mainly
through dialogue discussion and
debate and not by stuffing the
mind of the student with heavy
moral or philosophical information
through text-books and lectures.
And this debate or discussion to be
fare and just must include the
views of some of the latest and able
exponents of atheism in Science
like Richard Dawkins and his
“God-delusion” hypothesis.
The most of important part of
this debate or discussion has to be
on the practical implications of
these higher thinking for choice
and decision-making. There is at
present much debate on some of
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the dangers facing humanity like
proliferation of nuclear weapon
accumulation of weapons of Mass
Destruction WMD and global
warming. Much of these dangers
to humanity can be neutralized if
the scientific technical and
professional community takes a
firm decision individually and
collectively not to work for
companies which makes ethical
ecological or social responsibility.
Towards Integral Unity and
Wellness
This brings us to the question
what are the new values which
have to be added on to the list of
values which we have outlined
earlier that will lead to the most
beneficent result for humanity The
answer perhaps lies in the value of
integral unity for theoretical
sciences and integral wellness for
applied sciences.
The highest collective wisdom of
humanity perceived a thread of
unity connecting all creation. The
ancient wisdom of the East
perceived a spiritual oneness of
Being and Consciousness as
sustaining principle of creation. In
our modern age the New Physics
has perceived an underlying and
interrelated unity of energy in the
subatomic world. As the physicist
Fritjof Capra points out “Subatomic
particles are not separate entities
but interrelated energy patterns in
an on-going dynamic process
Capra.F 1982. Similarly the new
thought in ecology called as “Deep
Ecology” finds a similar
interrelated unity in the process of
physical and biological Nature as a
whole. “Deep Ecology” writes
Capra “is rooted in a perception of
reality that goes beyond the
scientific framework to an intuitive
awareness of the oneness of all life
the interdependence of its multiple
manifestation and its cycles of
change and transformation”
Capra.F 1982. Similarly modern
depth psychology postulates a
“Collective Conscious” as the
underlying or common substratum
of human consciousness.
The modern economic and
management thought talks about
the economic interdependence of
the global economy. So there
seems to be an integral unity
which is sustaining all creation at
every level of human and
terrestrial creation―material
economic ecological social
psychological and spiritual. As the
human science progresses with the
growth of human consciousness in
the future more and more of this
integral unity will be revealed to
the scientific mind of humanity. To
pursue this intuition of unity and
interdependence of life and its
material practical social moral
and spiritual implications to its
utmost details and possibilities is
perhaps the best and the most
effective path for modern science to
progress towards the spiritual
dimension or the divine.
Each field of science can do this
in its own domain physical
sciences in the realm of Matter
towards the Unity of Matter
ecological and life science in the
realm of life towards the unity of
life psychological sciences in the
realm of Mind towards the unity of
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consciousness spiritual sciences in
the realm of the Spirit towards the
unity and universality of the Spirit
in Man and the Oneness of God.
The Nobel Laureate in physics
Brian D Josephson makes the
following interesting observation
on including the concept of God in
science:
“Now there are two way in
which one could approach the
issue whether God has an influence
on Nature. One is to continue
following the traditional
materialistic line of explanation
seeing if it really explains
everything. That would be a very
long job. It might be couple of
centuries before we would get the
answer that way. An alternative
approach for the scientist says
‘Let’s investigate the opposite
view that perhaps we should be
taking God into account in science
what would a science look like
which has God in there playing a
part accounting thereby for
particular phenomena’”Josephson
B.D 2003
The thinkers and educators in
science must give a serious
consideration to this alternative
approach suggested by Brian
Johnson. But the success or
effectiveness of this approach
depends on the concept of God on
which it is based. If we creator
sitting in some remote heaven and
creating or overseeing the universe
it may not lead to any positive
scientific results. On the other
hand if we conceive Man God and
Nature in the Indian spiritual
perspective then it can give an
entirely new and discipline for
arriving at an experiential
realization of this unity. But this
inner realization of unity may be
difficult aim far away from most of
us. However even a conceptual
understanding of this spiritual
conception of unity along with its
implications can somehow be
inculcated into the mind of the
student of science it can give a
positive ethical and spiritual
orientation to science. For when
we understand clearly that we are
individually and higher orientation
to modern ecology and
environment. In this Indian
perspective God is the infinite
eternal and universal
consciousness which is the creative
source of the Individual and the
Universe Man and Nature. He is
the deepest and innermost Self of
our own being and the Universe
and in which we can feel our unity
with all creation Nature is the
creative Energy of God and the
source of all energies in the
Individual and the Universe—
physical psychological and
spiritual. Thus God in this
conception is the spiritual Unity
and Wholeness—Unity of Being
Unity of Consciousness Unity of
Energy—which sustains all
creation. The other important and
positive aspect of Indian spiritual
thought is that it provides not only
a deep conceptual insight into this
highest law of unity which governs
life but also the inner collectively
linked together in a mutually
interdependent unity and parts of a
larger whole and therefore our
well being of others and the whole
it gives an enlightened ethical
orientation to the intelligence. This
intellectual understanding may
not be enough to provide a
dynamic ethical turn to the whole
slide 12: TW-00097 12
being especially in terms of action
behaviour and decision-making.
For this to happen the idea has to
enter into the emotional and
dynamic parts of our being. This is
one of the great educational
challenges of the future. But still
intellectual understanding
provides a good initial foundation.
We are now brought to the other
values well-being. As we have
indicated earlier applied sciences
have pursued mainly pragmatic
values like utility efficiency
productivity and innovation.
These are legitimate values which
are in harmony with the dharma of
applied science. But modern
applied sciences except perhaps
medical science have neglected the
value of well-being which is also a
pragmatic value. So for a more
beneficent use of science and
technology this value or ideal of
integral well-being have to be
brought to the front as the central
ideal of applied sciences in theory
practice and education.
Most of us have a vague notion
that Science and Technology
should serve human well-being.
This notion has to be made more
and more clear precise and
comprehensive. What are the
factors values ideals or principles
which will lead to a positive
integral and highest well-being of
human life in all its dimensions—
material economic social
psychological and spiritual— and
in what way the various streams of
sciences like the physical social
psychological or spiritual sciences
can work together to bring about
this total well-being of human life
This question pursued with clarity
and precision in all its details and
in the light of an integral vision of
human development will perhaps
give a new and positive direction
to the future of Science and science
education.
References:
1. Broom.L and Selznic.P
1963 Sociology Text with
adopted readings Harper
and Row Newyork pp.4
2. Capra F 1982 Turning
Point Fontana paperbacks
London pp.86458
3. Ernst.R.R 2001 Science in
the Third Millennium
Expectations between Hope
and Fear ed.T.D. Singh and
Samaresh Bandyopadhyay
Thoughts on Synthesis of
Science and Religion The
Bhakthi Vedantha Institute
Calcutta pp.530-551
4. George C.S 1974 The
History of Management
Thought Prentice Hall of
India New Delhi pp.90-94.
5. Hack.S Literary
Supplement July 9 1999
p.18
6. Josephson B.D 2003
Science and Religion: How
to Make a Synthesis ed T.D.
Singh Seven Nobel
Laureates on Science and
Spirituality Bhakthi
Vedantha Institute Calcutta.
7. Prabhupada The Goal of
Science and Scientific
Exploration Savijnana
vol.1 2002 p.1 to 6
8. Pribran K.L inteview
Science is Spiritual
Savijnanan Journal of
Bhakthi Vedantha Institute
vol.1 2002 p.31 to 44.
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9. Sheldrake. R Interview
Editorial Comments What
is Enlightenment 1997
vol.2 p.97
10. Singh T.D Dialogue on Life
and Its Origin Savijnanam
vol.1 2002 p.6-20
11. Sheldrake. R Interview
Editorial Comments What
is Enlightenment 1997
vol.2 p.97
12. Townes C.H Interview
Savijnanam vol.2 Dec.2003.
13. Wilbur K1977 Spectrum of
Consciousness Quest Books
Wheaton p.11