The progress of scientific endeavor At a particular stage is often aptly described by the tale of Six Wise Men of Hindustan:
There were six men of Hindustan,
to learning much inclined,
Who went to see an elephant,
though all of them were blind,
That each by observation
might satisfy his mind.
The first approached the elephant,
and happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
at once began to bawl,
"This mystery of an elephant
is very like a wall."
The second, feeling of the tusk,
cried, "Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear,
This wonder of an elephant
is very like a spear."
The third approached the elephant,
and happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
thus boldly up and spake,
"I see," quoth he,
"the elephant is very like a snake."
The fourth reached out an eager hand,
and felt above the knee,
"What this most wondrous beast
is like is very plain" said he,
"'Tis clear enough the elephant
is very like a tree."
The fifth who chanced to touch the ear
said, "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
deny the fact who can;
This marvel of an elephant
is very like a fan."
The sixth no sooner had begun
about the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
that fell within his scope;
"I see," said he, "the elephant
is very like a rope."
So six blind men of Hindustan
disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
exceeding stiff and strong;
Though each was partly in the right,
they all were in the wrong!
Continuing the imagery, In a scientific endeavor the blind man would in time each probe more of the elephant, to build on their previous "laughable" image of the elephant. Each man's previous image is not wrong. It is useful building block for a more complete image. But not even when they have each probed all parts of the elephant and have finally come to the same elephantine conclusion about the shape of the elephant would they lay claim to having absolute truth about the elephant. After all, shape of the elephant might change over time. There may be other elephants of different shape.
Continuing further with the elephant imagery, A theist would have not bothered to Observe any part of the real elephant. He would have opened some scripture and intoned something like the " whole of the elephant is a perfect image of god and proof of god's existence", and insisted that is the absolute truth. The theist thinks he already has the absolute truth when he has nothing at all. His mistakes are of the sort useless even for learning from mistakes.
There were six men of Hindustan,
to learning much inclined,
Who went to see an elephant,
though all of them were blind,
That each by observation
might satisfy his mind.
The first approached the elephant,
and happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
at once began to bawl,
"This mystery of an elephant
is very like a wall."
The second, feeling of the tusk,
cried, "Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear,
This wonder of an elephant
is very like a spear."
The third approached the elephant,
and happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
thus boldly up and spake,
"I see," quoth he,
"the elephant is very like a snake."
The fourth reached out an eager hand,
and felt above the knee,
"What this most wondrous beast
is like is very plain" said he,
"'Tis clear enough the elephant
is very like a tree."
The fifth who chanced to touch the ear
said, "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
deny the fact who can;
This marvel of an elephant
is very like a fan."
The sixth no sooner had begun
about the beast to grope,
Than seizing on the swinging tail
that fell within his scope;
"I see," said he, "the elephant
is very like a rope."
So six blind men of Hindustan
disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
exceeding stiff and strong;
Though each was partly in the right,
they all were in the wrong!
Continuing the imagery, In a scientific endeavor the blind man would in time each probe more of the elephant, to build on their previous "laughable" image of the elephant. Each man's previous image is not wrong. It is useful building block for a more complete image. But not even when they have each probed all parts of the elephant and have finally come to the same elephantine conclusion about the shape of the elephant would they lay claim to having absolute truth about the elephant. After all, shape of the elephant might change over time. There may be other elephants of different shape.
Continuing further with the elephant imagery, A theist would have not bothered to Observe any part of the real elephant. He would have opened some scripture and intoned something like the " whole of the elephant is a perfect image of god and proof of god's existence", and insisted that is the absolute truth. The theist thinks he already has the absolute truth when he has nothing at all. His mistakes are of the sort useless even for learning from mistakes.
