outofhis“Memorial。“Eveninanessayonthe“CivilPolicyofAmerica，“theturbanedsagefiguresquiteprominently；anditisneedlesstoaddthathereappears，aslargeaslife，whenthesubjectofdiscussionistheattitudeofsciencetowardreligion。
Speakingbrieflywithregardtothismatter，wemayfreelyadmitthattheworkdonebytheArabs，inscientificinquiryaswellasinthemakingofevents，wasveryconsiderable。Itwasawork，too，thevalueofwhichisnotcommonlyappreciatedintheaccountsofEuropeanhistorywrittenforthegeneralreader，andwehavenodispositiontofindfaultwithDr。Draperfordescribingitwithenthusiasm。ThephilosophersofBagdadandCordovadidexcellentserviceinkeepingalivethetraditionsofGreekphysicalinquiryatatimewhenChristianthinkersweretooexclusivelyoccupiedwithtranscendentalspeculationsintheologyandlogic。Insomedepartments，asinchemistryandastronomy，theymadeoriginaldiscoveriesofconsiderablevalue；andifweturnfromabstractknowledgetotheartsoflife，itcannotbedeniedthatthemediaevalMussulmanshadreachedahigherplaneofmaterialcomfortthantheirChristiancontemporaries。Inshort，theworkofallkindsdonebythesepeoplewouldfurnishthejudiciousadvocateoftheclaimsoftheSemiticracewithmaterialsforapleasingandinstructivepicture。Dr。Draper，however，errs，thoughnodoubtunintentionally，bysopresentingthecaseastoleaveuponthereader’smindtheimpressionthatallthisscientificandpracticalachievementwastheworkofIslamism，andthattheMohammedancivilizationwasofahighertypethantheChristian。ItiswithanapparentfeelingofregretthathelooksupontheoustingoftheMoorsfromdominioninSpain；butthisisamistakenview。Asregardsthefirstpoint，itisapatentfactthatscientificinquirywasconductedatthecostofasmuchtheologicalobloquyintheMohammedanasintheChristianworld。ItistruetherewasmoreactualtoleranceofheresyonthepartofMoslemgovernmentsthanwascustomaryinEuropeinthosedays；butthisisasuperficialfact，whichdoesnotindicateanysuperiorityinMoslempopularsentiment。Thecaliphateoremiratewasatrulyabsolutedespotism，suchasthePapacyhasneverbeen，andtheconductofascepticalemirinencouragingscientificinquirygoesbutlittlewaytowardprovinganythinglikeageneralprevalenceoftoleranceoroffree-thinking。Andthisbringsustothesecondpoint，——thatMohammedancivilizationwas，onthewhole，ratheraskin-deepaffair。ItwassuperficialbecauseofthatextremeseverancebetweengovernmentandpeoplewhichhasneverexistedinEuropeannationswithinhistorictimes，butwhichhasalwaysexistedamongtheprincipalracesthathaveprofessedMoslemism。NowhereintheMohammedanworldhasthereeverbeenwhatwecallanationallife，andnowheredowefindinitsrecordsanytraceofsuchanintellectualimpulse，thrillingthrougheveryfibreofthepeopleandbegettingprodigiousachievementsinart，poetry，andphilosophy，aswasawakenedinEuropeinthethirteenthcenturyandagaininthefifteenth。Underthepeculiarformofunlimitedmaterialandspiritualdespotismexemplifiedinthecaliphate，afewmenmaydiscovergasesorcommentonAristotle，butnogeneralmovementtowardpoliticalprogressorphilosophicalinquiryispossible。Suchasocietyisrigidandinorganicatbottom，whateverscantysignsofflexibilityandlifeitmayshowatthesurface。Thereisnobetterillustrationofthis，whenwellconsidered，thanthefactthatMoorishcivilizationremained，politicallyandintellectually，amereexcrescenceinSpain，afterhavingbeenfasteneddownoverhalfthecountryfornearlyeightcenturies。
Butweareindangerofforgettingourmaintheme，asDr。Draperseemstodo，whilewelingerwithhimovertheseinterestingwaysidetopics。Wemayperhapsbeexcused，however，ifwehavenotyetmadeanyveryexplicitallusiontothe“ConflictbetweenReligionandScience，“becausethisworkseemstobeinthemainarepetitionenpetitofthe“IntellectualDevelopmentofEurope，“andwhatwehavesaidwillapplyaswelltooneastotheother。Inthelittlebook，asinthebigone，wehearagreatdealabouttheArabs，andsomethingaboutColumbusandGalileo，whomademenacceptsundrytruthsintheteethofclericalopposition；and，asbefore，wefloatgentlydownthecurrentofhistorywithoutbeingoverwell-informedastotheprecisedidacticpurposeofourvoyage。Here，indeed，evenourheadingsandrunning-titlesdonotmateriallyhelpus，forthoughwearesupposedtobewitnessing，ormayhapassistingin，aperennialconflictbetween“science“and“religion，“wearenowhereenlightenedastowhatthecauseorcharacterofthisconflictis，norareweenabledtogetagoodlookateitherofthepartiestothestrife。Withregardtoit“religion“especiallyareweleftinthedark。Whatthisdreadfulthingistowardswhich“science“isalwaysplayingthepartofHeraklestowardstheLernaeanHydra，wearelefttogatherfromthecourseofthenarrative。Yet，inabookwithanyvalidclaimtoclearsightedness，onewouldthinksuchapointasthisoughttoreceiveveryexplicitpreliminarytreatment。
Thecourseofthenarrative，however，leavesusinlittledoubtastowhatDr。Drapermeansbyaconflictbetweenscienceandreligion。WhenheenlargesonthetritestoryofGalileo，andalludestothemoremodernquarrelbetweentheChurchandthegeologists，anddoesthisinthebeliefthatheistherebyillustratinganantagonismbetweenreligionandscience，itisobviousthatheidentifiesthecauseoftheanti-geologistsandthepersecutorsofGalileowiththecauseofreligion。Theword“religion“istohimasymbolwhichstandsforunenlightenedbigotryornarrow-mindedunwillingnesstolookfactsintheface。
Suchaconceptionofreligioniscommonenough，andunhappilyagreatdealhasbeendonetostrengthenitbytheverypersonstowhomtheinterestsofreligionarepresumedtobeaprofessionalcare。Itisneverthelessaverysuperficialconception，andnobookwhichisvitiatedbyitcanhavemuchphilosophicvalue。Itissimplythecrudeimpressionwhich，inmindsunaccustomedtoanalysis，isleftbythefactthattheologiansandotherpersonsinterestedinreligionareusuallyalarmedatnewscientifictruths，andresistthemwithemotionssohighlywroughtthattheyarenotonlyincapableofestimatingevidence，butoftenalsohavetheirmoralsenseimpaired，andfightwithfoulmeanswhenfaironesfail。Ifwereflectcarefullyonthisclassofphenomena，weshallseethatsomethingbesidesmereprideofopinionisinvolvedinthestruggle。Atthebottomofchangingtheologicalbeliefsthereliessomethingwhichmenperenniallyvalue，andforthesakeofwhichtheyclingtothebeliefsaslongaspossible。Thatwhichtheyvalueisnotitselfamatterofbelief，butitisamatterofconduct；itisthesearchingaftergoodness，——afterahigherlifethanthemeresatisfactionofindividualdesires。Allanimalsseekforfulnessoflife；butincivilizedmanthiscravinghasacquiredamoralsignificance，andhasbecomeaspiritualaspiration；andthisemotionaltendency，moreorlessstronginthehumanrace，wecallreligiousfeelingorreligion。Viewedinthislight，religionisnotonlysomethingthatmankindisneverlikelytogetridof，butitisincomparablythemostnobleaswellasthemostusefulattributeofhumanity。