Science and religion

When A.N. Whitehead came to Harvard in the early 20th century, he discovered the unknown genius of Wm James. Harvard at this time was scaracly the major academic institution that it is today. Most serious students went to European universities for their graduate studies if they were able. Whitehead was so impressed with James that he arranged to get James' ideas exposed to the European intellegensia of the day by getting him invited to deliver the prestigeous Gifford lectures at the Univ. of Edenborough. These lectures became famous and were published as 'The Varieties of Religous Experience.' In them James essentially argues for the legitmacy of the religous consciousness as central to man's fundamental or intrinsic nature. For James, man has a spiritual side to him no matter what his anthropological setting. In fact, James maintains, it is his religous consciousness that separates man biologically from other members of the animal kingdom.