Cosmos and Transcendence: Breaking Through the Barrier of Scientistic Belief, 2nd Edition

In the present work, Wolfgang Smith presents an insider's critique of the scientific world-view based upon the sharp but often overlooked distinction between scientific truth and scientistic faith. With elegance and clarity he demonstrates that major tenets promulgated in the name of Science are not in fact scientific truths but rather scientistic speculations - for which there is no evidence at all. Step by step the reader is led to the astonishing realization that the specifically 'modern' world is based intellectually upon nothing more substantial than a syndrome of Promethean myths. But this is only half of what the book accomplishes. Its primary contribution is to recover and reaffirm the deep metaphysical and religious insights that have come down to us through the teachings of Christianity. And herein lies the true worth of this remarkable treatise: having broken the grip of scientistic presuppositions, the author succeeds admirably in bringing to view great truths that had long been obscured. With elegance and clarity, Wolfgang Smith leads the reader, step by step, to the realization that the specifically 'modern' world is based intellectually, not indeed upon scientific facts, but ultimately on nothing more substantial than a syndrome of Promethean myths. And this 'opening' enables him to recover and reaffirm the deep metaphysical insights that have come down to us thorugh the teachings of Christianity: having broken the grip of scientistic presuppositions, the author succeeds in bringing to view universal truths which had long been obscured. -- from back cover ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 8 FOREWORD......Page 9 PREFACE TO SECOND EDITIONTHIS......Page 11 1 THE IDEA OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE......Page 15 2 THE CARTESIAN DILEMMA......Page 29 3 LOST HORIZONS......Page 47 4 EVOLUTION: FACT AND FANTASY......Page 72 5 THE EGO AND THE BEAST......Page 103 6 THE DEIFICATION OF THE UNCONSCIOUS......Page 123 7 'PROGRESS' IN RETROSPECT......Page 149 INDEX OF NAMES......Page 175 BACK COVER ......Page 179 Introduction Bible Koran Hermes trismegistos Confucius Shankara Mohammed Islamic quotations Christian sages Christian saints Kings and queens Reason and intellect Miscellaneous quotations Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Democracy Red Indian quotations Hindu quotations Buddhist quotations Christian quotations Unity in plurality, plurality in unity Appendices. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6 CONTENTS 8 FOREWORD 9 PREFACE TO SECOND EDITIONTHIS 11 1 THE IDEA OF THE PHYSICAL UNIVERSE 15 2 THE CARTESIAN DILEMMA 29 3 LOST HORIZONS 47 4 EVOLUTION: FACT AND FANTASY 72 5 THE EGO AND THE BEAST 103 6 THE DEIFICATION OF THE UNCONSCIOUS 123 7 'PROGRESS' IN RETROSPECT 149 INDEX OF NAMES 175 BACK COVER 179 Sophie Perennis, 2008