Philosophy and science

Philosophy and science

Whether we scientists are inspired, bored, or infuriated by philosophy, all our theorising and experimentation depends on particular philosophical background assumptions. This hidden influence is an acute embarrassment to many researchers, and it is therefore not often acknowledged. Such fundamental notions as reality, space, time and causality – notions found at the core of the scientific enterprise – all rely on particular metaphysical assumptions about the world. 1

Modern science needs philosophy
With this backdrop, a growing number of scientists are calling for head-to-head interactions with philosophers. In a recent New Scientist article, cosmologist Joseph Silk reviews these and other issues now faced by the field, and then notes that such problems, probing the meaning of our very existence, are closely akin to those that have been debated by philosophers through the ages. Thus perhaps a new dialogue between science and philosophy can bring some badly needed insights into physics and other leading-edge fields such as neurobiology.

Biological evolution has not brought us the slightest understanding of how the first living organisms emerged from inanimate matter on this planet and how the advanced eukaryotic cells—the highly structured building blocks of advanced life forms—ever emerged from simpler organisms. 2

1. https://phys.org/news/2014-04-science-philosophy-collide-fine-tuned-universe.html#jCp
2. http://time.com/77676/why-science-does-not-disprove-god/

Tan, Change; Stadler, Rob. The Stairway To Life:

Science provides higher confidence when

1) results are repeatable,
2) results are directly measured and accurate,
3) results are obtained through prospective, interventional study,
4) assumptions are minimized,
5) bias is avoided, and
6) results are summarized with sober judgment, not amplified or extrapolated.

These six criteria can be applied to any practice of science to assess the level of confidence of a scientific result. Each criterion is not black-and-white but rather provides a spectrum of levels of confidence. In some fields of science, the six criteria simply cannot be met despite the best efforts and creativity of scientists.