Do you agree with Stephen Hawking when say Philosophy is dead ?

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SUMMARY

Stephen Hawking's assertion that "Philosophy is dead" suggests that traditional philosophy has failed to keep pace with modern scientific advancements. The discussion highlights a distinction between traditional philosophical inquiries, such as realism and mind-body dualism, and contemporary philosophical movements like logical positivism and analytical philosophy, which engage with scientific discourse. Participants question whether Hawking's critique encompasses influential philosophers like W.V.O. Quine, Bertrand Russell, Hilary Putnam, and Karl Popper, who actively contribute to the philosophy of science. The conversation ultimately raises the paradox of whether Hawking's own work in popular science constitutes a form of philosophy.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of traditional philosophical concepts such as realism and idealism
  • Familiarity with modern philosophical movements like logical positivism and analytical philosophy
  • Knowledge of key philosophers including W.V.O. Quine, Bertrand Russell, Hilary Putnam, and Karl Popper
  • Awareness of the relationship between science and philosophy, particularly in the context of the philosophy of science
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of logical positivism and its implications for science
  • Explore the contributions of W.V.O. Quine to the philosophy of language and science
  • Investigate the role of philosophy in interpreting scientific theories and findings
  • Examine the critiques of traditional philosophy in light of contemporary scientific advancements
USEFUL FOR

Philosophy students, science communicators, and anyone interested in the intersection of philosophy and modern scientific thought will benefit from this discussion.

circularsquar
Do you agree with Stephen Hawking when say "Philosophy is dead" ?

*I would have posted it in the philosophy sub-forum , but I thought the material might not meet the guidelines . The content of this thread would fit a general and informal discussion more , I thought. Please move it to any sub-forum where this topic fits if it doesn't belong to the general discussion forum. Please bear with a newcomer and do reply in this thread :smile:. If a similar topic exists I would be glad to be redirected to it via a link*

Hello friends , most of you may have heard Stephen Hawking put forth the proposition that "Philosophy is dead and that Science is the modern torch-bearer of knowledge" . He says that philosophy has failed to keep with modern science.
Do you agree ?

Is there a confusion over what is meant by 'Philosophy' here ?

I personally think Hawking is referring to a traditional kind of philosophy here which used to deal with unsolvable problems such as realism/idealism , mind-body dualism , and which sometimes tended to be theological. In that case he maybe right in a sense.

But why is he not considering the schools of Philosophy such as logical positivism or modern analytical philosophy . Aren't these philosophers well versed with science ? Does Stephen Hawking also include philosophers such as W V O Quine , Bertrand Russell , Hilary Putnam, Karl Popper in the list of those philosophers who haven't kept up with science?
And most importantly when he is writing popular science books and doing speculations over reality , isn't he doing 'philosophy' ? For I used to think the job of science does not include interpretation, and as soon as one gets into interpretations one enters the 'philosophy of science' .

*Sorry for the grammatical error in title of thread , noticed it now.:cry: *
 
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