Microcosmology Atom in Jain Philosophy and Modern Science

Author(s): Jethalal S Zaveri, Mahendramuni
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

Page 150

CHAPTER 3]
A CRITIQUE
GENERAL INTROCUCTION
In the Orient, science became a part of religion, and the two got so much mixed up that it was impossible to extricate one from the other. But in the Occident, they remained in hostile camps, poles apart. Even, now, according to scholars like A. Toynbee and others, there is no compromise between the two.
Science in the West was born around the 12th century A.D. on the basis of inspiration it received from the Greek philosophers who had lived about 2500 years ago and who had given place to ‘reasoning'. But the immediate impetus was provided by the quest of 'truth' which was enshrouded in and discouraged by teachings of the dominant church. The Copernican theory shook the most basic theological and philosophical canons of the day. It proved the intellectual spark for the tremendous acceleration of knowledge. Under the prodding of Galileo, Kepler, Newton and others, questions of nature were thrust directly into the combative public arena of empirical inquiry. Experiments became crucial and theories had to be supported by close observations. Thus, the scientific method stressing reasons and logic was born. So science started in the West by breaking away from the church teachings and since, in the ensuing battle, science proved the stronger of the two, it dominates the Western life today more than the Church.
in course of time, classical science - particularly physics -- was replaced by modern science. Under its influence