Jesuits and Science – A Close Linkage
Whenever I had occasion to say in public that the Jesuits played a major role in the origin and development of modern science, invariably I see several raising their eyebrows in dis belief and even disagreement. But even a cursory look at the history of modern science, particularly in its infancy, tells us that my claim is true. Many internationally reputed scholars, most of them non-Catholics, have endorsed it time and again. To mention a few, William Ashworth writes: “There is one order that stands out from all others as the scientific order without rival in seventeenth-century Catholicism,and that of course is the Society of Jesus.“ George Sarton, well-known historian of science, says : “One cannot talk about mathematics in the sixteenth and seventeenthcenturies without seeing a Jesuit at every corner.“According to John Heilbron, well-known British historian of science, the Jesuit Order was the “single most important contributor to experimental physics in the seventeenth century.”Carolus Sommervogel lists 631 Jesuit scientists in the first two centuries of Jesuit history. This is a very high percentage since at the time of the Suppression there were only 2171 Jesuits.Johann Poggendorf in his Dictionnaire de Sciences Exactes from antiquity to 1863 lists 8847 scientists. Of these 5% (one out of every twenty scientists) was Jesuits! Jesuit astronomers at the Collegio Romano were the first to confirm independently the telescopic discoveries of Galileo. They congratulated and felicitated Galileo in a public function in Rome.
Nor was this international recognition gratuitously conferred, as is evident from many honours the Jesuit Society has earned over the centuries. 35 Lunar Craters have been named after Jesuits. Four asteroids have been named after Jesuits, two of whom are still alive today. Seismology is called the Jesuit science in recognition of the great contribution the Jesuits have made to this branch of science. Several Jesuits were members of the Royal Societies in various nations. Galileo, Descartes, Mersenne, De la Hire, Jean Delambre, etc., were well –known scientists educated by Jesuits.
This well-earned reputation was not limited to Christian Europe only. It extended to South Asia and the New World of the Americas. Several scholars like M. Razaullah Ansari have pointed out that “the Jesuits were the first Europeans to introduce modern Western astronomy into the South and South-East Asia.”In China the Jesuit astronomer-trinity – Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), John Adam Schall von Bell (1591-1666) and Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) – was accorded the rare honour of national heroes. In our own India, the first credited scientific discovery was made in 1689 bya French Jesuit astronomer Jean Richaud, (1633-1693)in 1689. Hediscovered the binary nature of alpha-Centauri and alpha-Cruis.In 1876 Eugene Lafontof St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, was one of the cofounders of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS, the equivalent of Royal Societies in other countries), along with Mahendra Lal Sircar. Jesuits were the first to introduce telescope in India. Raja Sawai Jai Singh (1688-1743) of Jaipur invited Jesuit astronomers to help him in his effort to bring Indian astronomy on par with astronomy in the West. Coming to contemporary times, more than 80 species of plants have been named after Indian Jesuit scientists and their research centres. A rare insect has been named after an Indian Jesuit. As will be discussed in the 6 following papers of this special issue ofJivan, the Jesuits in India continue this great tradition through their prestigious research institutes and reputed colleges.
Two Periods of Jesuit Science in India – Pre-Suppression and Post Restoration Eras
The Jesuit Order was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773 and restored by Pope Pius VII in 1814. This Suppression was mostly due to political and non-religious reasons, as is clear from the fact that the Restored Order was exactly the same as the Suppressed one.However, as far as Jesuit involvement and contribution to science in India are concerned, there were some differences between the two periods.
The Pre-Suppression Period
This first period was marked mostly by individual initiatives – there were many talented Jesuit scientists, mostly from Europe, who made very valuable contribution to science in India. There was no established institutional support for them. Their contribution was mostly in accurate determination and prediction of the position of heavenly bodies and astronomical events, accurate estimation of longitudes and latitudes of different cities, making accurate and reliable maps of the country, geographical exploration, etc. Today these items may look very simple and insignificant; but they were very valuable and much needed at that time. For instance, S.N. Sen, the well-known historian of Indian astronomy, laments over the pathetic state of geographical knowledge available in India in the 18th century: “In the eighteenth century the pioneering efforts of reconstructing the geography of India along scientific lines were handicapped by the paucity of data on geographical latitudes and longitudes, particularly the latter, and, where available, by their unreliability.” In such circumstances, the Jesuit contribution was a real blessing. As another historian Raymond Mercier points out, the Jesuit scientists’ “geographical observations in particular were fundamental in effecting the revolution in the accuracy of longitudes.”
Perhaps the most notable instance of Jesuit contribution to the development of science in India in the eighteenth century was the Jesuit collaboration with Raja Sawai Jai Singh (1688-1743) of Jaipur, the statesman scientist, who made a valiant and all-out attempt to inject new life into astronomy in India in order to bring it onpar with Western astronomy. Jai Singh himself was a gifted astronomer and made every effort to get the best of experts, facilities, and equipments to achieve his ambitious program. He had observatories built in Jaipur, Delhi, Mathura, Benares, and Ujjain, and had drawn up a master-plan to make Jesuits in charge of them. Obviously, he was very much appreciative of the Jesuit astronomers, but unfortunately he died prematurely, and the program was discontinued.
The Post-Restoration Period
This period saw strong institutional involvement and support. This paradigm shift had many salutary benefits. It saw many outstanding colleges and other centres of learning, particularly scientific learning, coming up at strategic locations, attracting talented professors and students. It gave stability and continuity to the scientific programs. Jesuit collegeslike St. Joseph’s Trichy, St. Xavier’s Kolkata, St. Xavier’s Mumbai, etc., became nationally reputed training centres for budding scientists who contributed outstandingly to the development of science and the nation. Late Abdul Kalam, Jagadish Chandra Bose, R. Chidambaram, Kasturi Ranjan, Paul Ratnasamy, etc., were some of the eminent scientists to emerge from these institutions.
Personal Testimonies
The personal testimonies from some of the alumni of these institutions reveal the quality and commitment of these temples of learning. For instance, Abdul Kalam wrote these memorable words inMarch 1998: “All that I am today I owe it to St Joseph’s [Trichy], and to the Fathers and Professors of my college. The formation I have received in my Alma Mater has enabled me to serve the Nation creditably.” India’s Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman has similar words of appreciation: “St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchirapalli, had played a great part in the development of higher education in Southern India. Many of its former alumni who have taken the Honours Course in Physics from that college have subsequently been research students in my laboratory and achieved conspicuous success. They now hold distinguished positions in various parts of India.”
Jesuit Scientific Research Institutes in India
A whole network of well-appreciated, innovative and productive research institutes in various parts of India, most of them in collaboration with colleges, stands as a living testimony to the continued interest and involvement of the Jesuits in science and technology. A few of them will be discussed in detail in the following papers of this issue, and so I only mention some of the more important ones: Centre for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, Palayamkottai, Centre for Natural Resources, Tiruchirappalli, Centre for Taxonomic Studies, Bangalore, Entomology Research Institute, Chennai, Loyola Institute of Frontier Energy, Chennai, Biotechnology Research Institute in St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, Loyola Centre for Research and Development, St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, etc.
Jesuit Scientific Institutions
In addition to active research centres, there are also other scientific institutions, some of them still very active, attracting many visitors and research scholars. The Trichi Museum, The Shembaganur Museum, St. Xavier’s College Observatory (1879) in Kolkata, Blatter Herbarium (1906) in St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, are some of them.
Jesuits and Science-Religion Dialogue
Unlike in the past, today the awareness is growing worldwide that science and religion are partners in a common mission of building up a better humanity and a better world. The Jesuit scientists all through their history were convinced that one could be a successful scientist and a faithful religious. In fact, their life and work has been a living testimony to the conviction that science and religion are not contradictory, but complementary. For the last 25 years Jesuits in India have taken up this mission in a systematic and well-planned way, reaching out mostly to the intelligentsia of the nation, with very encouraging results. Indian Institute of Science and Religion (IISR) Delhi, JDV Centre for Science-Religion Studies (JCSR) Pune, etc., have been serving the nation for over 20 years. Other such centres are in different stages of development in various parts of India.
The Ignatian Roots of Jesuit Science
The Jesuit engagement in modern science was firmly rooted in the spirituality and fundamental charism of the Jesuits. A Jesuit is a contemplative in action who blends harmoniously the interiority of the Spirit with the exteriority of action. Again, the Society of Jesus was founded to attain “the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.” This twin goal involves essentially the glory of God and the service of humanity. Many believing scientists, particularly in the early periods of modern science, believed that this was the goal of science as well. For instance, Kepler, the father of modern astronomy and one of the founders of modern science, believed that astronomers were priests of the almighty since they were ministers of the Book of Nature, just as ordinary priests were ministers of the Book of Scripture. This two-book view was quite prevalent in the time of the early Jesuit scientists. Several Jesuit scientists publicly professed that this was the reason why they took up science. For instance, Joseph Tieffenthaler (1710-1785) who worked mostly in North India, wrote: “I have spared no trouble, and undergone great hardships to disclose the mysteries of nature thereby to acquire a greater knowledge of the Creator and fix my mind on things heavenly.” Again, a positive attitude towards nature was fundamental to the Ignatian worldview and spirituality. This is particularly obvious in the Contemplatio ad Amorem of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, the foundational book of the Society of Jesus. Here St. Ignatius asks the readers to enter into communion with God through a contemplation of nature. Seeing God in all things, particularly in creation, is another fundamental constituent of Ignatian spirituality. All these reveal a positive attitude towards material nature. This kind of a positive attitude towards nature is fundamental to modern science. Openness to new possibilities of serving God and humanity was another special feature of the Ignatian approach. This attitude also resonated well with the perspective of modern science. All these considerations make it clear that the spirituality and charism of the Jesuits predisposed and encouraged them to engage in modern science without giving in to any contradiction or inconsistency.
Conclusion
We are proud and grateful inheritors of the great Jesuit scientific tradition.The Jesuit engagement in science has been an important contributor towards Indian nation building.This tradition must continue, particularly in our 21st century of science and technology. Unfortunately, today we see the discouraging spectre of science growing more and more, while Jesuit presence in science becoming less and less. Not all Jesuits can be scientists – they need not. But all Jesuits can have the scientific spirit, the scientific temper – and they should, since they are called to be leaders of their community dominated by science and technology. Scientific spirit involves recognition of the importance of science, appreciation for the achievement of science and awareness of the potential of science to do harm to humanity and the cosmos. Scientific spirit involves developing a sense of wonder at the grandeur of our mysterious universe, and a childlike curiosity to approach this mystery closer and closer. Scientific spirit means experiencing a sense of belongingness to this universe and an active realization that we are not arrogant masters, but proud custodians of this universe.Once we imbibe this scientific spirit, we are able to appreciate science and encourage our younger brothers to take up science seriously in the genuine Jesuit tradition.Then our great tradition will continue and prosper. Let us hope and pray that the Catholic Church in general and the Jesuit Society in particular may continue and carry forward the great Jesuit scientific tradition.
Job Kozhamthadam, SJ
