The Nature of Science

A very basic description of the nature of science and why it isn't based on faith.

Please think about it.

Main points:

1) Science doesn't claim to give absolute knowledge of anything.

2) It is a series of models each subject to improvement.

3) Science requires no faith as it doesn't result in beliefs.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• science
• religion
• faith
• scientist
• nature
• philosophy
• gravity
• theist
• atheist
• knowledge
• god

[ImNotTheJudge]

So you do believe that there is an absolute truth though, correct? Would you say that science would ever find an absolute truth, or do you think that we will just keep finding relative truths? I am a Christian, but I am just wondering what you take on that subject is.

[miksedene]

@ImNotTheJudge

I'm not sure I get the question as I can't tell if you're talking in a purely empirical sense or using some stronger meaning of absolute 'truth'.

[miksedene]

@ImNotTheJudge

Could you elaborate please?

[ImNotTheJudge]

@miksedene Yes, sorry. In your video you say something to the effect of, how science never finds an absolute truth. Do you think that there actually is one absolute truth to every question that we may have about life?

[miksedene]

@ImNotTheJudge

I have no idea. Philosophically, it seems we can't completely justify any position other than scepticism. The best we can do is make certain assumptions about premises and methods for attaining truth (e.g. that induction, upon which not only the scientific method is based but also most of our indispensable beliefs, works).

[miksedene]

@ImNotTheJudge

It of course may be the case that there are some true facts about the world, but I sincerely doubt we'll ever have the epistemological basis to reach these facts, or if we do somehow reach them, know that they are absolutely true.

Sorry if this is a bit esoteric, I've made several assumptions of the sense in which you've used certain words.

[ImNotTheJudge]

@miksedene Either way, nice video. Even from a Christian perspective I can understand your concept of Science. My concept is not much different, I view science as a direct study of what God has physically made. Interesting stuff.

[ImNotTheJudge]

@miksedene Yes, I agree with you. If you think about it there has to be "absolute truths", however that does not mean that we will ever acknowledge something as "absolute". Now from my perspective I would say that God is the only "absolute", but I just wanted an atheist perspective. I am sorry if my question was a bit confusing I tried to make it simple, but that was kind of a tough question to ask.

[Compact3]

@ZerksysSc, well, no you can't actually. Why not? Because are senses can be fooled, so there is no absolute certainty in that either. Actually, there is not absolute certainty in anything at all, besides math. Math is the only place where things can really be proven or dis proven and where absolute truths do exist. Think about this: can you KNOW FOR CERTAIN that you existed 5 seconds ago? How do you know you weren't created this very instant with all your memories already in your brain?

[ZerksysSc]

I like this video, but could you please elaborate on why you think that nothing is true? The observations that one makes when going through the process of investigation you call science must be true no?