From: Jeremy Crampton <jcrampto@gmu.edu>
Subject: (urth) Re: Digest urth.v028.n076
Date: Thu, 04 Nov 1999 17:56:01 

Hi,

>From: Dan Rabin <danrabin@a.crl.com>

I believe you are referring to "natural theology" or the argument from
design, which is the belief that since the world was created by a
supernatural being, we (humans) can detect the hand of this god in nature.
It was a real belief, prevalent during the 17th-18th century in Europe.
Robert Boyle is a good example. Kant and later Darwin refuted it and helped
usher in modern science.

>were made so was so the cathedral would rise just like it did.  He can't
>see the Hand in nature."

This is exactly the kind of thing they would say. Whether Wolfe is taking a
jab at it I don't know (tho sure sounds like it).


__
Jeremy W. Crampton		         http://geog.gmu.edu    jcrampto@gmu.edu
Dept. of Geography & Earth Science
[MS 1E2]				’Tis true; there’s magic in the web of it.
George Mason University					--Othello (III.iv.69)
Fairfax, Va 22030

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