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"What I have
tried to show is that the
scientific attitude implies
what I call the postulate of
objectivity--that is to say,
the fundamental postulate that
there is no plan, that there
is no intention in the
universe. Now this is
basically incompatible with
virtually all the religious or
metaphysical systems whatever,
all of which try to show that
there is some sort of harmony
between man and the universe
and that man is a
product--predictable if not
indispensable--of the
evolution of the universe. One
of the great problems of
philosophy is the relationship
between the realm of knowledge
and the realm of values.
Knowledge is what is; values
are what ought to be. I would
say that all traditional
philosophies up to and
including Marxism have tried
to derive the 'ought' from the
'is.' My point of view is that
this is impossible, this is a
farce. There is absolutely no
doubt that the risk of the
race committing suicide is
very great. In my opinion, the
future of mankind is going to
be decided within the next two
generations."
-- Jacque Monod
