Współczesne zagrożenia racjonalizmu

Abstract

In this article I describe recent dangers threatening to rationalism. In the first part I explain what rationalism means to a physicist. This is a generic notion based on mathematics and exact sciences and is substantially distinct from the traditional philosophical meaning of the concept. In particular, modem rationalism is not atheistic since any attempt to prove atheistic claims which is entirely based on rationalism, is essentially irrational. Furthermore, true Christian belief should be rational. Rationalistic worldview and rational Christianity are endangered in modem world by a renaissance of superstitious beliefs and eliminating the concept of truth and replacing it by the political correctness in pluralistic sociétés. I define superstition and try to elucidate why it is so popular again in spite of successes of science and technology. Next I show that the modem rationalism is based on the notion of truth and is worthless without it. In the modern pluralistic society the truth (regarding to relationships between human individuals and social institutions) is difficult to establish and prove; moreover the truth may be inconvenient and troublesome to some social groups. This is why the prevailing recent ideology avoids of or even rejects the truth and in order to prevent social conflicts it introduces the political correctness instead of the idea of truth.