The quintessence of ancient Eastern philosophy that advocated selflessness, an appreciation of the miracles of the universe and respect for nature hold great contemporary value, Ian Magrath, President of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research in Brussels, Belgium said on Sunday.
Delivering the first oration under the auspices of the Adyar Cancer Institute to commemorate the contributions of Dr. S. Krishnamurthi to cancer care, Dr. Magrath said whether it was the Gita discourses or Buddhist philosophy there were "tremendously deep lessons to be learnt from these scriptures".
Dr. Magrath's lecture on "Science, Religion and Humanity, a personal perspective" took the audience on an existential journey through the beginnings of the Universe, energy quarks with flavours, Hubble imagery of amazing structures in the sky and bright stars that are factories of chemicals and elements. The vast tracts of knowledge had helped mankind harness technology to develop state-of-the-art medical equipment, he pointed out.
The difference between science and religion, he said, was that while science cannot explain why anything exists and lacks a moral component, religion was based on the proposition of God or experiential phenomena such as enlightenment. Religion also binds together communities and lays down guidelines for living, he said.
Noting that at one time science and religion mixed easily together, Dr. Magrath pointed out that while much separation had occurred since, that dividing line was often not as sharp as we think or would like it to be.
According to Dr. Magrath, some of the new ethical issues in medical science that owed to the advancement of technology were in the use of embryos grown in culture for "spare parts", insurance against knowledge of the existence of multi-genetic predisposition, advancement of highly expensive pre-disease therapy or genetically modified food crops.
Dr. Magrath called for determining ethical principles in the wider human context, including short-term and long-term consequences, and applying science and religion in a way that ensured the well-being of the planet as a whole.
He pointed out that science and religion were components of the human condition roughly corresponding to the rational and emotional elements of the mind. And, while both were essential for the future of the human race, ethics too was imperative for survival of mankind, Dr. Magrath said.
V. Shanta, Cancer Institute chairman recalled the uphill struggle that Dr. Krishnamurthi had to overcome to set up the Cancer Institute at a time when cancer was thought of as a disease of destiny and without cure. Dr. Krishnamurthi, who had prescience about the importance that palliative care in cancer management was also an early advocate of multimodal approach to cancer treatment, she said.
