III The Mechanical Interpretation of the Universe

III The Mechanical Interpretation of the Universe I n the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when science discovered a system of cause and effect operating in the universe, the atheistic philosophers of the time enthusiastically welcomed it, for it provided a scientific alternative to God. The scientists, however, did not for their part interpret this law of nature in that way. For instance, to Newton, that was simply the way that God worked. He believed that it was through cause and effect that God made manifest His will throughout the universe. But those who were building up their philosophy in the light of scientific discoveries found in it a ‘proof’ for atheism and based upon it a whole system of thought. On the law of causation, Sir James Jeans has this to say in his book The Mysterious Universe: Confronted with a natural world, the first question that comes to mind is as to who is its Maker and who is the Sustainer of the Grand Machine. In ancient times man held that there were many invisible beings who were the lords of this Universe. And that a number of mini-gods were running the machine, under one great God. Still, many hold such beliefs. But in the academic (scientific) world this concept has generally been abandoned. The modernists of today subscribe to atheism rather than polytheism. They think that the universe is not an act of an intelligent being but is rather the result of chance