In this scientific 'Credo', Peter Atkins considers the universal questions of origins, endings, birth, and death to which religions have claimed answers. With his usual economy, wit, and elegance, unswerving before awkward realities, Atkins presents what science has to say. While acknowledging the comfort some find in belief, he declares his own faith in science's capacity to reveal the deepest truths.

In this scientific 'Credo', Peter Atkins considers the universal questions of origins, endings, birth, and death to which religions have claimed answers. With his usual economy, wit, and elegance, unswerving before awkward realities, Atkins presents what science has to say. While acknowledging the comfort some find in belief, he declares his own faith in science's capacity to reveal the deepest truths.

Accession Number: ATLA0001712117; Hosting Book Page Citation: p 124-136.; Language(s): English; Issued by ATLA: 20130825; Publication Type: Essay.

This article explores the nature and intellectual argument for naturalism and its dependent attitude, materialism. It touches on some of the alternatives but argues that they are inferior approaches to the manner in which knowledge and understanding are obtained. It extends the argument by touching on two subsidiary questions: the role of mathematics in describing the world and the origin of the laws of Nature.