Miejsce człowieka we wszechświecie. (Nie)religijne narracje polskich i ukraińskich przyrodników
The Place of Human Beings in the Universe. (Non)Religious Narratives of Polish and Ukrainian Natural Scientists

Summary/Abstract: This article aims at investigating the social imaginary emerging at the intersection of science and religion, and contributes to the discussion on the role of science in secularization processes. It focuses in particular on the imaginary related to the place of humans in the universe. The article continues the sociological tradition which tries to explore the cultural role of science through studying academics. Based on 100 in-depth interviews with Polish and Ukrainian physicists and biologists, it intends to not only show the significant differences between the two populations, but the impact these differences have on the loss or preservation of the scholars’ religiosity. The data suggests that influence of science on religion is not universal but strongly culturally mediated. Therefore, instead of searching for a single formula to describe this influence, it is worth considering its many culture-dependent configurations.

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