Materialist philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote that “only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation…be safely built.” But is this worldview of scientific materialism in line with what science has revealed to us in the last century? On a new episode of ID the Future, we’re pleased to share a recent conversation between Dr. Melissa Cain Travis and Dr. Ken Boa on the Explorers Podcast. The topic is beauty, harmony, and truth in the sciences.
In this discussion, Dr. Travis expounds on what she calls the principle of cosmic comprehensibility, the idea that the universe is intelligible to us. She provides examples from the work of C. S. Lewis as well as early 17th-century astronomer and giant of the Scientific Revolution Johannes Kepler. Melissa and Ken also discuss the universal longing for meaning and purpose inherent in human existence, and how even scientific materialists acknowledge this in their work.
Look here to find and listen to the podcast. We’re grateful to the producers of the Explorers Podcast for permission to re-broadcast this conversation.
Dig Deeper
Enjoy our three-part discussion with Dr. Travis about her recent book Thinking God’s Thoughts: Johannes Kepler and the Miracle of Cosmic Comprehensibility: