Scientists from CERN were among those attending a Wilton Park meeting, held in Divonne on 23-25 June, where experts were invited to examine the different world-views of science, philosophy, and theology, and consider what they share in terms of understanding.

Wilton Park is a forum for analysing and advancing the agenda on global policy challenges, bringing international experts together under the same roof to discuss issues of topical relevance. It organizes more than 50 events each year, providing a neutral environment where conflicting views can be expressed and debated calmly.

The meeting, which was organized in partnership with CERN, explored key topics, ranging from the nature of what it is to claim to know something in various disciplines to how we handle new discoveries and incorporate them into existing approaches alongside questions about limitations to human knowledge. It also enabled scientists from a range of disciplines to enter into dialogue with philosophers and theologians from the world religions about the nature of the Big Bang theory.

This is the second time CERN scientists have attended the Wilton Park conference; in 2012 a meeting on the theme of "Science, theology and the Big Bang" aimed develop a common framework for dialogue between science and theology. This conference continued that dialogue by focusing on the nature and understanding of truth; a key theme that was identified during the first meeting. The aim of this second conference was also to widen the spectrum of scientists, theologians and philosophers involved and to deepen the dialogue towards a common understanding of truth. 

The consideration shown to different perspectives and articulations of truth, to different traditions, and above all, the humility with which personal descriptions of truth were put forward advanced the dialogue. The interfaces of language are complex and subtle and theologians, philosophers and scientists all need to work hard to understand what other disciplines are saying in their own terms. It seemed not so much about a shared language, but an ability to listen to and translate with accuracy the language of the others in a willing spirit of engagement. There also was an aspiration, addressed to CERN, as main convener, to continue developing the dialogue and seek to include a larger number of interlocutors both from scientific and other communities.

A report is now available online summarizing briefly the main points and conclusions of the conference. It concludes that "in a globalised world where people from all races and creeds rub shoulders together and share common endeavors it is increasingly vital that we take knowledge of the other seriously. We need to understand the other as the other understands themselves. Alongside multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary working we also need to be able to reflect critically about our own value systems as well as those of others. This requires reflective intellectual curiosity, a desire to seek common ground, the determination to use common language, and profound respect. It assumes both sides acknowledge the other has intelligence – in every sense of the word."

The full report can be found here: https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/conference/wp1316/