Buddhism and Science
Modern Science
● “Science” as an academic discipline developed fully in the 16th-18th centuries (exam board have a very
western/European view - this was the European enlightenment, but scientific exploration was happening long before
in different parts of the world). There was scientific exploration before this, especially in the east.
● It was in this time that a systematic approach to science emerged, bringing clarity to the ideas of previous scientific
thinkers (like Aristotle, Galileo and da Vinci).
● Science is a systematic, evidence-based, inductive approach to truth/knowledge.
● A key feature of the rise of science is that human reason can understand the way the world works (Realist viewpoint).
● Science began to challenge truth claims of the major world religions as it developed - science challenges Buddhist
truth claims, e.g., about nirvana, transcended reality, but does it differently compared to Christianity, potentially
because Buddhism is more open and similar to scientific concepts and ideas, e.g., it doesn’t disprove things similar to
creation in 7 days because Buddhism doesn’t have such concepts. Buddhism can be quite complex, so it can’t really be
approached in the same way.
● Where Buddhists and scientists place their truth is very different. Authority for scientists = experiments/evidence,
but scripture for Buddhists.
● Abrahamic religions often have strong oppositions to some scientific things, but Buddhists don’t because scientific
exploration was happening alongside this religion?
, Is Science Valuable? - Buddha and the Search for Unanswerable Questions
What do the Unanswerable Questions show about Buddhist attitudes to science?
● Both TB and MB believe the Buddha refused to answer questions over the course of his ministry. Theravada believe he refused 10, Mahayana believe he refused 14.
● He argued these questions were like a “net” that drew people into trying to understand the world, and actually caused attachment. Scientists get attached to the concept
and the investigation. Scientific method is a form of attachment to the physical world. It is the false knowledge that the world will bring us truth about our existence when
it doesn’t. It brings us truth about one part of our existence, not our ultimate existence/potential.
● Buddha not answering these questions shows that he does not approve of science because he viewed unanswerable questions as a trap that keeps people stuck in samsara
and prevents nirvana. He said people are accustomed to talking about things in terms of them existing/not existing but this is not the true nature of things and does not
reflect ultimate reality. Everything in the universe exhibits cause and effect within Samsara, and everything is impermanent and empty. It is incorrect to try to understand
the world in terms of existence, which undermines the realist approach of modern science.
The 14 (or 10) Unanswerable Questions
TB believes the Buddha refused the questions in blue.
● Is the world eternal? ● Is the world finite? ● Is the self identical with the body? ● Does the Tathagata (historical Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama) exist
● or not? or both? or ● or not? or both? or or is it different from the body? after death? or not? or both? or neither?
neither? neither?
Gautama’s view of the beliefs in existence and non-existence Things do not correspond to the way they really are
● Buddha gives two basic attitudes/views of the world: view of existence and ● The 14 questions show that the propositions don’t correspond to how things really are.
of non-existence. People are accustomed to think in these terms, and as ● Buddhism teaches that the world does not exist absolutely (or absolutely in time). The
long as they remain entangled in these views they will not attain liberation. world exists dependent on causes and conditions: ignorance, craving, and clinging (keeps
● The propositions that the world is infinite, the Tathagata exists after death, the universe in existence, and asking if the universe is in existence is part of that trap).
and that the self is independent of the body reflect the view of existence. ● When ignorance, craving, and clinging are present, the world exists; when they are not
The propositions opposite of these (world is finite, Tathagata does not exist present, the world ceases to exist. Hence the question of the absolute existence or
after death, and the self is identical with the body) reflect the view of non-existence of the world is unanswerable. Existence and non-existence, taken as
non-existence. absolute ideas, do not apply to things as they really are. This is why the Buddha refuses to
● Same views reflected in modern times about the existence of the universe, agree to absolute statements about the nature of things. He saw that the absolute
some say it’s finite, others say it’s infinite. These two views were professed categories of metaphysics do not apply to things as they really are.
by teachers of other schools during the time of the Buddha. The view of ● We need liberation from the world, not more attention onto it - opposite of the scientific
existence is generally the view of the Brahmins; that of non-existence is view. E.g., steady state theory vs big bang theory - these discussions detach the scientists
generally the view of the materialists and hedonists. from what they should be doing, which is leading an ascetic life.
, Modern Science
Key Scientific Terms and Concepts
EMPIRICISM: all knowledge starts from RATIONALISM: all knowledge starts with the INDUCTION: using sense experience (a posteriori experiences) to gather SCIENTISM: science can give true
sense experience; a posteriori. Empiricism processes of human thought; a priori. It evidence that leads to a justified conclusion, e.g., cosmo and design arg. knowledge of reality. It alone can
is only based on gathering evidence and shares more things in common with When the conclusion is inferred from the premises, the premises are full determine what is meaningful, and
deriving conclusions from it. Buddhist approaches than empiricism: some of evidence. The scientific approach is exclusively inductive. CRITICISM: eventually it will explain everything.
● Physical world is useful because it gives argue Buddhism shares more in common because conclusion is inferred, risk of human bias/interpretation - ● Tends to ignore the contribution of the
us access to knowledge about the with rationalism, e.g., Descartes’ mal genie: Hume: problem of induction, e.g., Buddha seeing the four sights via his arts or psychology and the emotions to
human self-understanding.
universe, scripture and meditation to get to truth, we must exclusively use sense experience.
● Not all scientists subscribe to scientism -
doesn’t really do this in the same way. reason, as in Buddhism. ● Problem of induction is that we can’t get absolute knowledge from
they may argue science and religion
● The truth in Buddhism is a different ● Descartes is rationalist by using the scientific method because there’s a possibility we’ve got it wrong:
offer different types of knowledge so
type of truth than in science: systematic doubt (almost a falsification conclusions are at best probably true (probable truths) - we know shouldn't be dismissed.
quantitative evidence is used to create approach): seeking certainty by this because scientific facts have been disproven. ● Only scientific method and science itself
inductive arguments. Key truths in systematically doubting everything. The ● Different to the conclusions in Buddhism: probable truths vs. can give truth: different to Buddhism as
Buddhism as the four noble truths. senses can deceive, so doubted absolute truths (Buddhism). Starting point is the same but different it makes its own truth claims that don’t
● Danger of science as a revelation of empirical evidence. He used this to methods used = different truth claims in Buddhism and science (e.g., use the scientific method.
truth: keeps us trapped in the cycle of doubt the senses, the physical world, experiments vs scripture). Buddhism arrives to absolute truths like
samsara. and the existence of a mal genie. nirvana.
● DEDUCTION: other propositions may be deduced from the first (correct) proposition. ● REALISM: belief science can offer accurate descriptions of the natural world, and that the nature of reality can
be understood (via observation and experiments - scientific method).
Is Buddhism Rational (according to science)?
Yes No
● Similar to scientific approaches as it’s based on the experiences of Gautama (empirical). ● Has supernatural aspects, including belief in miracles and supernatural powers that can be gained
● Four noble truths can be seen as a priori, logical truths: it’s self-evident when thinking about it. through meditation via the four jhanas (highest level(s) = supernatural powers).
● Buddhism does not depend on an omnipotent creator God, so it overcomes the logical problem ○ Make points from miracles and life after death topics - points for/against belief in such things.
of evil. ● Aspects seem irrational, e.g., miraculous birth of the Buddha.
● Buddhists cite the Kalama Sutta to show that Buddhism is a rational teaching for understanding ● No scientific proof for karma and rebirth BUT what about examples of young children being able
the nature of life and spiritual liberation from the bondage of ego and suffering in its many to recall the lives of otherwise unknown people, e.g., 3 y/o boy born with a long, red birthmark on
forms. It aims at seeing things as they truly are which is a basic principle of Buddhism and its goal. his head told his family he was killed with an axe blow to his head. He was taken to the home of his
● Gautama encouraged people to personally test and experience the dharma. The buddha tried previous life: the boy knew the village he was from and remembered his past life name when he
different methods to try to understand the truth, e.g., he tried asceticism and found that that is arrived there.
not what people should be doing. ● Buddhism upholds the belief that true knowledge is only acquired when one attains nirvana - not
○ Buddhism is based on the empirical experiences of Gautama of luxury and strict asceticism, scientific or rational, and can only be encouraged through meditation.
leading him to conclude that Magga is best. ● Unanswerable questions: rationalism/science can act as a “net” that prevents people from
● Buddhism encourages wisdom (prajna) and insight (vipassana meditation). attaining liberation, suggesting rationalism is not emphasised within Buddhism.
