Annotation

Below is an annotation of the scholarly source, “Why I am an Accommodationist and Proud of It” by Michael Ruse. In the annotation, I will use the ongoing method employed in the Humanities course: making an observation (!), and then asking a question (?). After that, I will elaborate on some key points I noticed in the essay.

Ruse-Why-I-am-an-Accommodationist

! – Ruse argues that religion explains questions that science, by nature, cannot answer, which is why religion and science can coexist – a point that is salient to today’s climate. (I also talk about religion in a modern context in my review of Chasing Gods under the Review tab)

? – Isn’t the problem with religion the fact that it can cause people to radicalize when they are fundamentalists? It doesn’t seem like scientists are arguing with accommodationists, so perhaps this essay misses the point.

Overall, this is a strong essay. It establishes that science can only explain as far back as the Big Bang, but cannot tell us why the Big Bang occurred, or why life exists. Science uses metaphors, such as comparing humans and our environment to machines (assigning them conceptual schemes as we discussed in unit 2 of Humes). And while science doesn’t explain why we are here, what our purpose is, or give any moral structure, Christianity and religion as a whole can attempt to answer those questions. Science does not and can not provides such answers. This makes a strong case for the ability of two seemingly opposing subjects to coexist. It is especially salient in the divisive times, both politically and otherwise, of today’s world.