"The god whom science recognizes must be a God of universal laws exclusively, a God who does a wholesale, not a retail business. He cannot accommodate his processes to the convenience of individuals"
- William James
About this Quote
The quote recommends that the principle of God in science is limited to the doctrines that govern the natural world. This God does not intervene in individual lives or change natural processes based on the desires or requirements of individuals. Rather, this God runs on a wholesale level, using their laws to whatever equally. William James is highlighting the contrast between this scientific idea of God and the traditional religion in a humane divine being who intervenes in the lives of individuals, responding to prayers and granting individual favors. In essence, James is arguing that the God of science is impersonal and removed from human affairs.
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