Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 140

116

§ 44.

TRUTH

[Div. II

Hence

it

is

" truth "

is

legitimately only a result of sin.

none too strongly

said, that the struggle for

Science

is

you imagine our human development without sin, the impulse to know and understand the cosmos, and by this knowledge to govern it, would have but there would have been no search after been the same truth, simply because there could have been no danger of reIn our lying upon falsehood as a result of investigation. entirely different

from truth.

If

;

sinful condition, however, while the ,

human

consciousness

is

constantly ensnared in falsehood, from the very nature of

7^1 the case science has the twofold calling, not only to investigate and understand the object, but also to banish the false representations of

it.

you leave the material domain you see different men, who from their point of view are honest in their purposes, and whose talents

But

this

is

easier said than done,

and

as soon as

for investigation are fairly equal, arrive at as

many

different

and sometimes directly opposite results. This is less to be feared in the domain of pure matter, at least as long as one confines himself to the mere statement of what has been obAs served, and draws no inferences from his observations. soon, however, as investigations reach the point where the reinforced eye and ear are no longer able to observe with absolute certainty, disputes may arise, though this has nothing and when, after all the applause that to do with falsehood hailed Dr. Koch's preparation for tuberculosis, it was shown that this preparation not only failed of its purpose, but even When caused injurious effects, he had to acknowledge it. facts spoke, illusion was ended. It is entirel}' different, however, when one comes in contact with the wow-material domain of life. The science of statistics, on which it was thouglit we could so safely build, is shown to be largely untrustworthy. And when we enter the domain of the real spiritual sciences, the most objective observation, such as the examination of documents, and the statement of a few tangible facts, are scarcely ended, but ideas everywhere separate, and there is no more objective certainty to compel universal homage, which This is not found can bring about a unity of settled result. ;

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