1.2.2.

          Science connected with transcendence

          Tolstoy tries to elucidate how religious perception, on the one hand as source of inspiration and on the other hand as normative criterion, promotes the evolution of science. He ascertains that in modern times (19e century) religion is being considered in circles of educated people to be some sort of outdated superstition. They are merely consciously or unconsciously confusing the notion of an institutional religious cult like for instance the Christian Church with the notion of religious perception. Their rejection of any religious cult did not put them out of reach of our common human religious perception. Because in our society these ideals of the religious perception have an universal reach. It is quite possible that peoples have a different opinion about how this greater unity between all peoples has to be realized. However many social tendencies, whether or not religious orientated (socialists, humanists), regard the mutual unity and equality of mankind as its most prominent ideals.
          The most progressive individuals of a society are being inspired by this religious perception to express the highest ideals and moral values in conceptual terms. In this way they can reach out and appeal to other people on a rational level and convince them by means of reasonable persuasion. This 'real science' under the influence of the religious perception lays its priority in the social sciences, and is committed to an analytic articulation of knowledge with a social, moral and religious nature (pg. 217).
          The 'science of life' is a spiritual organ serving the human evolution. This social science will be essential in forming a just society, in which mutual equality and the brotherhood of men posses a central and dominant place. Its aim is the well being of all mankind by freeing society of all of its religious and social evils. The natural sciences will only find a proper goal when it will be guided by the social philosophy. Only  then its knowledge of material nature will be at the service of the ideals of the 'science of life'.
          Analogue to the previously mentioned metaphoric comparison of art and science as being like the heart and longs of the same body, the functional coherence of art and science has to be regarded as necessary (pg. 213). Science articulates reasonable knowledge about the social values that are esteemed the most prominent in society. Art has the potential to translate this knowledge like the notion of neighbourly love in an emotional context that will be directly accessible to all peoples without any complicated rational discussions. Therefore art that functions properly actually needs 'real science' that articulates on a rational base moral values its content.
          The symbiotic unity of the emotional, reasonable and spiritual elements of the human psychological awareness is in a direct connection with the organic unity of art, science and transcendence. Art is only then functional with regard to our development when it reveals itself in all dimensions of our consciousness. Science without art is just incomplete, and vice versa.
          Art has the potential to integrate reasonably acquired knowledge of a given society in the emotional awareness of its citizens (pg. 222). It gives us as it were an example of how religious perception and its social and humanistic values are actually to be realized in our social life and behaviour. Thanks to its communicative and educational properties it can make humans familiar with truthful and vital feelings. In this manner art and science prompt mankind to a voluntary and pleasurable mutual co-operation, without the need for any external force or any physical violence.
          This will end the survey of Tolstoy's convictions written in 'What is art' concerning the coherence between art, science and religious perception.
 
 

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Last updated April 29, 1999 author: Drs. T. J.  Kuijl ©1995-1999. Comments are welcome and can be send via e-mail (click on e-mail) Quotations of the content of this article should mention the author's name and its source. Copies of this article must leave the text unaltered including the copyright reference. Dissemination of  electronic copies is not allowed.