“Granting your point,” commented the woman representing the Northwest Union, “is it our business to do so? Our functions and our authority are limited; we are forbidden by constitution to meddle in spiritual matters. How about it, Johann?”
The member addressed was the only priest persona among them, he being the Most Reverend Mediator to some millions of his co-religionists south of the Rio Grande. His political prominence was the more exceptional in that the great majority of his constituents were not of his faith. “I do not see, Geraldine,” he replied, “that the constitutional restriction applies. What Brother Mordan proposes is a coldly scientific investigation. Its consequences may have spiritual implications, if there are positive results, but an unbiased investigation is no violation of religious freedom.”
“Johann is right,” said Rembert. “There is no subject inappropriate for scientific research. Johann, we’ve let you fellows have a monopoly of such matters for too long. The most serious questions in the world have been left to faith or speculation. It is time for scientists to cope with them, or admit that science is no more than pebble counting.”
“Go ahead. I shall be interested in seeing what you can make of them-in laboratories.”
Hoskins Geraldine looked at him. “I wonder, Johann, what your attitude will be if this research should turn up facts which controvert some one of your articles of faith?”
“That,” he answered imperturbably, “is a matter for me to settle with myself. It need not affect this board.”
“I think,” observed the Speaker for the Day, “that we might now seek a preliminary expression of opinion. Some support the proposal-are any opposed?” There was no response. “Are any undecided?” There was still no response, but one member stirred slightly. “You wished to speak, Richard?”
“Not yet. I support the proposal, but I will speak to it later.”
“Very well. It appears to be unanimous…It is so ordered. I will co-opt an instigator later. Now, Richard?”
The member-at-large for transient citizens indicated that he was ready. “The research does not cover enough territory.”
“Yes?”
“When proposed as a means of persuading Hamilton Felix to accede to the wishes of the State geneticists, it was sufficient. But we are now undertaking it for itself. Is that not true?”
The Speaker glanced around the room, picking up nods from all but ancient Carvala-she seemed uninterested in the whole matter. “Yes, that is true.”
“Then we should undertake not just one of the problems of philosophy, but all of them. The same reasons apply.”
“We are under no necessity of being consistent, you know.”
“Yes, I know, am I not trammeled by the meshes of verbal logic. I am interested. I am stimulated by the vista. I want us to extend the research.”
“Very well. I am interested, too. I think we might well spend the next several days discussing it. I will postpone co-opting the instigator until we determine just how far we will go.”
Mordan had been intending to ask to be excused, his mission accomplished, but at this new twist, fire and earthquake, garnished with pretty girls, could not have tempted him to leave. As a citizen, he was entitled to listen if he chose; as a distinguished synthesist himself, no one would think of objecting to his physical presence in the circle of discussion.
The member for transients went on. “We should enumerate and investigate all of the problems of philosophy, especially the problems of metaphysics and epistemology.”
“I had thought,” the Speaker said mildly, “that epistemology had been pretty well settled.”
“Certainly, certainly-in the limited sense of agreeing on the semantic nature of symbolic communication. Speech and other communication symbols necessarily refer back to agreed-upon, pointed-to referent physical facts, no matter how high the level of abstraction, for communication to take place. Beyond that we cannot communicate. That’s why Brother Johann and I can’t argue about religion. He carries his around inside of him and can’t point to what he means-as I carry mine. We can’t even be sure that we disagree. Our notions about religion may be identical, but we can’t talk about it meaningfully-so we keep quiet.”
Johann smiled with untroubled good nature, but said nothing. Carvala looked up from her fancywork and said sharply, “Is this a development center lecture?”