by the Academies of the two countries – to the Italian-Swiss University of Lugano for the two-day-Symposium. The question of the meaning of “truth” is central to many areas of contemporary debate, whether between those subscribing to a post-Enlightenment view of the world and those who seek fundamental truth in religious texts, or between those maintaining that there are absolute truths and those believing facts to be social constructs. For some, the ultimate truth is revealed through religious faith and t- tual authority. Can this view be reconciled with an evidence-based, materialist, post-Enlightenment perspective of the truth as embraced by the natural sciences? If religion holds the key to the truth, which religion and which truths? During the five thematic sessions of the symposium, all attended by the same audience and by all the speakers and panel members, these and many other qu- tions, but in particular the one about the meaning of truth, were examined and debated. The whole range of perspectives represented on the panels and in the au- ence came to the fore. After the keynote lecture by Professor Simon Blackburn, the five sessions covered the following disciplines: philosophy, mathematics, physics, cosmology, the biological sciences including biodiversity and sustainability, h- tory, the social sciences, theology and religion. This volume contains the speakers’ lectures, the corresponding reactions of the invited panel members as well as the panel and general discussions of the two-d- symposium.
Truth in Science, the Humanities and Religion BALZAN SYMPOSIUM 2008 TRUTH IN SCIENCE, THE HUMANITIES AND RELIGION organized by the International Balzan Foundation at the University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera italiana) 16–17 May 2008 PROCEEDINGS edited by M.E.H. NICOLETTE MOUT AND WERNER STAUFFACHER Editors M.E.H. Nicolette Mout Piazzetta U. Giordano, 4 20122 Milano Italy
[email protected] Werner Stauffacher Piazzetta U. Giordano, 4 20122 Milano Italy
[email protected] ISBN 978-1-4020-9895-6 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-9896-3 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4020-9896-3 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010927805 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Foreword Since 1961, the International Balzan Foundation awards prizes for outstanding achievements through its General Prize Committee. A prize for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood among peoples is awarded, at an interval of not less than three years to personalities and institutions for and in support of their contribution to humanitarian work, brotherhood and peace in the world. In addition, two prizes each are awarded every year for scholarly excellence in the Humanities – i.e. the arts, humanities and social sciences – and for fundamental research in the Sciences – i.e. physics, astronomy, mathematics, natural sciences and medicine together with epidemiology. The four fields to be awarded – two in the Humanities, and two in the Sciences – change every year. No more than four prizes may be awarded in any one year. The General Prize Commit