The belief of contemporary scientists in the powers of nature. Darwin – Einstein – Hawking

Abstract

The question of what scientists believed and believe has intrigued not only those around them, but also the scientists themselves. At a time when standards of correct thinking and belief were set by various churches and denominations, even the most eminent scientists often had to hide their reservations about the faith that fell within those standards. The situation changed in the second half of the 19th century, i.e. at a time when the paths of secular scholars not only diverged from those indicated by these churches and denominations, but it was also possible to openly demonstrate this divergence. This was particularly significant in the case of those scholars who combined it with ground breaking discoveries in science. Such scholars included Darwin, Einstein and Hawking. In these reflections, the author not only points to the paths these scholars took, but also to what they achieved and how they differed from one another. Although their scientific findings and those other contemporary scholars influenced their belief in the power of nature, none of them ruled out the existence of a creator beyond nature. However, for none of them did this creator resemble the God spoken of by various churches and denominations.