Science and Religious Dogmatism

21 Pages Posted: 22 Oct 2024 Last revised: 30 Dec 2024

Date Written: October 24, 2024

Abstract

Today’s leading historians of science have “debunked” the notion that religious dogmatism and science were largely in conflict in Western history: conflict was rare and inconsequential, the relationship between religion and science was constructive overall. This view stands in sharp contrast to that of a group of economists, who are beginning to report empirical evidence suggesting pervasive conflict, either in the present or during various historical settings. Who is right? This article provides quantitative evidence—from the continental level down to the personal one—suggesting that religious dogmatism has been indeed detrimental to science on balance. Beginning with Europe as a whole, it shows that the religious revival associated with the Reformations coincides with scientific deceleration, while the secularization of science during the Enlightenment coincides with scientific re-acceleration. It then discusses how regional- and city-level dynamics further support a causal interpretation running from religious dogmatism to diminished science. Finally, it presents person-level statistical evidence suggesting that—throughout modern Western history, and within a given city and time period—scientists who doubted God and the scriptures have been considerably more productive than those with dogmatic beliefs.

Keywords: Religion, Science, Conflict Thesis, History of Europe, Progress, Knowledge, History of Science, Innovation, Scientometrics, Applied econometrics, Economics of religion

JEL Classification: N00, P00, O10, O30, Z12

Suggested Citation

Cabello, Matias, Science and Religious Dogmatism (October 24, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4972195 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4972195

Matias Cabello (Contact Author)

MLU Halle-Wittenberg ( email )

Chair of Economic Growth and Development
Halle (Saale), DE Sachsen-Anhalt 06108
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://sites.google.com/view/mcabello/

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