The Mind of God-Paul Davies


***1/2/*****                                                                                                                                             Science

The Mind of God-Science and the Search for Ultimate Meaning
Paul Davies

Leisure has its drawbacks. It prods one to probe such unanswerable questions as; What is the purpose of life, how did the universe originate, was it created, and if so, why?

Paul Davies’ book The Mind of God is an attempt to understand and seek answers to such questions. A rationalist faces a risk. Too much faith in the abilities of science to answer the most rudimentary questions of human existence and universe, makes him blind to the inherent limitations and fallacies of scientific knowledge. Paul Davies’ book should be read by all such people and by those grappling in dark, to arrive at some coherent and rational belief on life and universe.

Davies begins with the origin of scientific thought, human reason and belief. He talks about various schools of philosophies in ancient world which sought to explain the cosmic phenomena. He presents the extant knowledge about the creation of universe and discusses some basic but profound questions like; can Universe create itself, weather it was created or it originated, why should it have come in to existence at all, etc. He raises some basic questions about the scientific knowledge which are generally taken for gospel truth; What are the physical laws? Who created them and why? Are these laws transcendent or a part of the universe and came into existence with the later? He tackles the question why the physical laws lend themselves to mathematical expression? He talks about the ways in which mathematics is inseparably woven in to the fabric of cosmos. He discusses various theories on why the universe is the way it is. And he ends with discussion of the concept of ‘Designer Universe’, the need for god and the form of god if any. These queries lie in the shared zone of influence of science, theology and philosophy. Davies discusses all in an unbiased manner. As would be apparent, most of these questions do not have clear answers but it is engrossing to know the spread of one’s ignorance and the limitations of science which is attributed to possess answers to all mysteries and secrets of life.

Davies states his position clearly; ‘I cannot believe that our existence in this universe is a mere quirk of fate, an accident of history, an incidental blip in the great cosmic drama… Through conscious beings the universe has generated self-awareness. This can be no trivial detail, no minor byproduct of mindless, purposeless forces. We are truly meant to be here.’  These seemingly imponderable, intricate and complex issues are presented in a lucid and succinct language barring a few chapters like the one dealing with the ‘real and virtual worlds’ and ‘mathematics and reality’. This is a book which is a must read for any inquisitive person who has ever grappled with the ‘hows and whys’ of life and universe.


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