I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 7 Philosophy of Science

After dinner, the three talked for over an hour, until Captain George yawned. Charles House reluctantly took Chen Wenbin and the pastor to the Henry Hotel by carriage, saying as he left:

"...Chen! I hope you and the pastor can finish your thesis as soon as possible. I will do my best to help you collect data, and I will also suggest that ships in Newport carry fruit, sauerkraut, and tea with them when they go to sea. There are more than ten ocean-going ships departing and returning every month, which should be enough to support the amount of data you mentioned!"

"Okay! Thank you!"

Chen Wenbin yawned, waved goodbye, and then walked into the hotel with Pastor Jason.

Just as he was about to ask the waitress for a basin of hot water to wash his feet before bed, Pastor Jason came over with great interest and said:

"Robin! I still don't quite understand what you meant by the philosophy of science. Could you explain it again?"

Chen Wenbin looked at the excited middle-aged pastor and nodded slightly in his heart.

Sure enough, after explaining a little about the concepts of scientific logical empiricism and falsifiability, the other party kept asking questions.

Logical positivism and falsifiability are both 20th-century concepts in the philosophy of science, which are considered heretical in this era, especially by conservative Christians!

Judging from Pastor Jensen's current state, he probably hasn't realized the risks involved... That's fine, I'll know tomorrow morning whether this pastor is truly trustworthy.

"Pastor, it's too late today!" Chen Wenbin feigned exhaustion and shook his head. "Let's discuss it tomorrow morning!"

Seeing Chen Wenbin's tired expression, Pastor Jensen could only nod regretfully, but the excitement in his eyes did not diminish at all.

The relationship between religion and philosophy in the West is very close, and science has only been independent of philosophy for about a hundred years in this era, and many clergy are also engaged in scientific research.

Pastor Jensen has a solid foundation in theology and philosophy, and also understands scientific methods, so he certainly knows the value of Chen Wenbin's casual remarks.

He had only been back in his room a short while when he saw the silver cross on his chest reflected in the bathroom mirror, and he suddenly realized the...impactful nature of these words on theology!

For example, the statement "Scientific truths must be repeatable and falsifiable" would have been ground at the stake a hundred years ago if the person who said it had said it!

Because truth belongs only to God!

However, it was now 1763. Rationalism and Newtonian mechanics, originating in Europe, had led most of the intellectual class to re-examine religious theology. Enlightenment ideas were becoming increasingly popular, and some Enlightenment thinkers were even recklessly attacking the Church and religion. All of this indicated that a new era was about to begin...

The next morning, Chen Wenbin woke up and stretched comfortably in bed.

This might be the most comfortable night's sleep he's had since transmigrated. There was no wobbly bed, no strange smells, and not many fleas... Well! This Henry Hotel, which claims to be the most luxurious in Newport, actually had fleas. Although there weren't many, it still disappointed him a little.

However, he suspected that the fleas might have been brought from the ship with him, so he didn't bother the hotel. He simply asked a waitress to prepare bathwater for him in the morning so he could clean himself thoroughly.

"...Mr. Robin! The pastor is looking for you!"

The voice of the waitress, Lucy, came from outside the room. Chen Wenbin, who was soaking in the bathtub, quickly said, "...Okay! Lucy, please have the priest wait a moment, I'll be right out!"

Hearing Lucy's agreement, Chen Wenbin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had forgotten to close the door when he was about to take off his clothes to take a shower, and Lucy, dressed as a maid, actually came in with a brush, saying she was going to help him scrub his body!

Finally, after much persuasion and offering the other party an extra shilling coin, he was able to refuse this "thoughtful" room service.

To be honest, Lucy wasn't bad-looking. She was seventeen or eighteen years old, with chestnut hair, brown eyes, milky white skin, and a dark gray fitted maid dress, except for some light freckles on her face.

Putting aside her lack of cultural refinement, she was indeed a beautiful white girl, which shows that Henry's Hotel was quite well-equipped.

However, Chen Wenbin is not yet able to enjoy the life of a master with a clear conscience. Not to mention that his modern ideas do not allow it, even if he wanted to, now is not the time.

After getting dressed, Chen Wenbin went to the next room to greet Pastor Jensen, and then they went downstairs to the restaurant for dinner. He also answered a few of the pastor's questions... all of which were within the scope of what he had mentioned yesterday, and he would never talk about topics that were off-limits.

"...Robin, I suggest you don't share these opinions of yours with others too much!"

After listening to Chen Wenbin's explanation, Pastor Jensen, who looked haggard across the table, hesitated for a moment before whispering a reminder: "Although the New World is more tolerant than Europe, it is also very conservative in some aspects... Do you understand what I mean?"

God is beyond question!

Chen Wenbin was taken aback upon hearing this. Looking at the worried middle-aged pastor, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Pastor! I have never doubted God! This was just logical thinking... I will be more careful in the future!"

Reverend Johnson smiled and said, "Then in your scurvy paper, reduce the description of these scientific viewpoints and just summarize the effective prevention methods. If the paper is convincing enough, I believe the Royal Society of London and the Royal Navy will certainly be willing to give you honors and awards!"

Chen Wenbin's thoughts shifted, and he shook his head, saying, "It probably won't work in our name. We must add House, the tax officer. He is an officer in the Royal Navy, and his signature will make it easier to attract London's attention. Moreover... he is also a tax officer in the colony!"

I believe a paper of significant value to the Navy could help Mr. House advance to a higher rank.

Pastor Jason looked at the young man before him with a complicated expression. After a moment of thought, he asked seriously, "...What if he steals your research results? Robin, what are you going to do?"

"So what if I steal it!"

Chen Wenbin shrugged and said, "It's not like I can only publish one paper, and I don't intend to put all my energy into academia. Don't forget, our textile factory hasn't even opened yet!"

"...You're quite optimistic!"

Pastor Jason said speechlessly, "I thought you would be very angry."

After finishing the last piece of steak, Chen Wenbin put down his knife and fork and said frankly, "If I only have this one research result in my whole life, of course I'll be very angry! But anger and sadness are the most useless emotions!"

Pastor, God doesn't pity the useless and the cowardly, does He?

"That's right!"

Reverend Jason smiled easily when he saw Chen Wenbin's calm expression. "Robin, I believe you will have many friends and a great career in the future, because you possess the same qualities as heroic figures!"

Chen Wenbin laughed and shook his head slightly, saying, "I'm not some kind of hero. I just don't want to become one of those pathetic wretches."

Alright, Pastor, let's get down to business. Can you find me the land for the textile factory, skilled carpenters, blacksmiths, and workers within a week?

If these things can be accomplished, I'll give you another one percent of the shares as compensation!