The whole atmosphere of the world in which we live is affected by science, as is shown most immediately and strikingly by our modern conveniences and material resources. A little deeper thinking Shows that the influence of science goes much farther and colors the entire mental outlook of the modern civilized man on the world about him. Perhaps one of the most telling evidences of this is his growing freedom from superstition (迷信). Freedom from superstition is the result of the belief that the world is not governed by caprice, but that it is a world of order and can be understood by man if he will only try hard enough and be clever enough. This conviction that the world is understandable is, doubtlessly, the most important gift of science to civilization. The widespread acceptance of this view can be dated to the discovery by Newton of the law of gravitation; and for this reason Newton may be justly regarded as the most important single contributor to modern life.

The word" caprice"(line 7) here refers to（）