In a commentary promoting the concept that public science literacy could stem the tide of anti-science sentiment (The Scientist, July 10, 1995, page 13), Leon Lederman underestimates the impact that fundamentalism does and will have on our and all other societies. Fundamentalists are not interested in promoting scientific understanding. On the contrary, they want to severely diminish the voice of scientists.
The pursuit of science is inherently the pursuit of knowledge through reason, experimentation, logic, and challenge of unproven postulates. Fundamentalism abhors these intellectual attributes because they are inconsistent with their premise that one's belief and conduct should be guided by faith; faith unchallenged, unquestioned, and not diminished by criteria that they alone will dictate. The path of the fundamentalist is, frankly, a much easier one to grasp and follow. It also more readily permits the exploitation of ethnic, religious, and even national bonds than the more burdensome preoccupation...
Interested in reading more?
Become a Member of
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!