Intellectual Openness versus Ideological Fundamentalism

Abstract

The history of scientific revolution shows how strongly our habits and irrational fears affect the fate of particular intellectual solutions. Although since the days of Galileo or Copernicus it has been recognized how valuable is the search for causes of physical phenomena, for many consecutive years similar interpretations were not applied to biotic systems. Teleological descriptions of the tendency of systems to a specific end appeared as not subjected to any modifications. Such an approach often blocked development of the concept of God, His relationship to the world and many important aspects of Christian thought.

One of the most influential ideas in the history of human reflection was to treat change as a manifestation of imperfection. Nevertheless, change may appear as something ontologically fundamental and axiologically positive. In such a way change is treated in each valuable research on the field of natural sciences. This concerns the readiness to modify existing thesis and particular solutions, whose clarification brings us closer to the truth. Popper’s model of intellectual development allows to fearlessly grasp difficult problems, (if needed) take a “step back” or even change the statement that seemed as an unchangeable approach.