Abstract

Since the time of Plato, the transcendentals of truth, beauty and goodness have been widely seen both as having an existence that goes beyond the material world and as the ultimate indicators of that which is of worth. In this talk I examine the contributions of teaching about science and religion to truth and goodness. Learning takes place throughout our lives and in many sites but I focus on 5-16 school education, both in the UK and internationally. At a time of global uncertainty, the notion that we live in post-truth times is increasingly prevalent. I regard this as potentially disastrous. I examine what are meant by ‘truth’ and ‘goodness’ in science and in religion and what school teaching about science and religion can do to help students develop better understanding of these concepts and, ultimately, live more worthwhile lives.