- #61
ice109
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i can't believe this hasn't been tossed into philosophy somewhere
Scientific method/rationalism = faith?
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the relationship between the scientific method, rationalism, and faith. Participants explore whether the reliance on science and its methodologies can be considered a form of faith, especially in light of unresolved scientific questions and the belief in the universe's rationality. The conversation touches on philosophical implications, the nature of scientific inquiry, and the limits of human understanding.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Conceptual clarification
- Exploratory
Main Points Raised
- Some participants argue that the expectation for science to eventually solve open problems reflects a form of faith in the scientific method and the belief that the universe operates under rational rules.
- Others contend that science is not inherently faith-based and emphasize the importance of empirical evidence and repeatable results.
- A participant expresses skepticism about the inevitability of a Grand Unified Theory (GUT), suggesting that the universe may not be fully explainable by science.
- Some participants discuss the potential limitations of human understanding and the possibility that certain aspects of the universe may remain beyond scientific explanation.
- There are differing views on the role of technology and computational advancements in solving scientific problems, with some expressing optimism about future developments.
- Concerns are raised about the funding and sustainability of scientific research, particularly in space science.
- A participant critiques the tendency to turn to religion for answers, arguing that it represents an avoidance of the complexities of scientific inquiry.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants express a range of views, with no clear consensus on whether the scientific method can be equated with faith. Disagreements persist regarding the nature of scientific inquiry, the limits of understanding, and the implications of unresolved scientific questions.
Contextual Notes
Participants reference philosophical ideas and historical contexts, such as the evolution of scientific thought and the relationship between science and religion, without reaching definitive conclusions. The discussion highlights the complexity of defining the boundaries of scientific explanation.
- #62
Ivan Seeking
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cyrusabdollahi said:
Prove it.
QED.
- #63
Cyrus
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Prove the scientific method? That's what it comes down to.
- #64
ice109
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cyrusabdollahi said:
yes, that is the crux of the debate
- #65
Cyrus
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I don't have to prove it, you only have to disprove it and it fails always. So, *you* disprove it. There are libraries of books that prove it works up until now.
- #66
Ivan Seeking
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cyrusabdollahi said:
Prove that the scientific method can produce a TOE that completely models the universe. And as you know, arm waiving doesn't count.
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- #67
ice109
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cyrusabdollahi said:
no the burden of proof is on you not me; that's logic 101
ahh this has gotten way to nebulous someone please lock
- #68
Cyrus
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Thats a bogus claim to make. Unless you can live for the next 100, 1,000 or 10k years to see someone possibly prove or disprove it.
I could have made the same claims your are making right now about some process we now understand today that would have been inconceivable in their day.
I could have made the same claims your are making right now about some process we now understand today that would have been inconceivable in their day.
- #69
Cyrus
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ice109 said:
I don't have to prove anything to you.
- #70
Ivan Seeking
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cyrusabdollahi said:
No one is saying that it can be proven that a TOE can't exist.
The burden is on you since we don't have a model - we can show where physics fails - but you assert that a TOE can exist. Prove it.
You are using induction improperly here. And it doesn't all work, which is why physicists are working to find a TOE.
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- #71
Cyrus
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No, you improperly said that I assert that a TOE exists. I said, on the other hand, that it can be proven or disproven. Someday, in the future, the math may say it can be solved, or that it can't be solved. If you want me to predict the future, then that's absurd. Are there other formulas you want me to solve while were at it? Should I solve the Navier Stokes equations too? Is everything faith until someone has to come along and show you how it works?
- #72
Evo
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Cyrus is right, people have been putting words into his mouth.
Cyrus never said a TOE or GUT would be proven he said
Cyrus never said a TOE or GUT would be proven he said
Which as he clarified, the answer could prove or disprove it. How many times does he have to say that?cyrus said:
cyrus said:
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- #73
hypnagogue
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Proof that the scientific method can provide a TOE would require demonstration of such a TOE, experimentally verified of course. Such a demonstration is not on offer since such a TOE does not exist at the moment. Therefore, the claim that the scientific method will eventually produce a TOE is a matter of assumption or faith, since there is no definitive proof on which to base such a claim.
If you approach the matter in terms of a provisional hypothesis that does not commit to the truth value of the claim one way or the other, then you are talking about something else altogether. The issue of "faith" only comes in once you have committed to the stance that the scientific method will provide a TOE. If you make no strong commitment to this stance, then of course the issue of faith does not arise.
If you approach the matter in terms of a provisional hypothesis that does not commit to the truth value of the claim one way or the other, then you are talking about something else altogether. The issue of "faith" only comes in once you have committed to the stance that the scientific method will provide a TOE. If you make no strong commitment to this stance, then of course the issue of faith does not arise.
- #74
Cyrus
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I like how you said that second paragraph.
Also, I don't see why one needs a TOE to understand what's going on. The Navier Stokes equations have no solution, does that mean we don't know anything about the study of fluid flow? It means we don't have an exact closed form solution. But we still understand the physics very well.
What I am saying is that given enough time, money, and effort, a solution is highly *probable. If you want to bark at me "show me a solution, your wrong until I see a solution on my monitor RIGHT NOW!" then you're being unreasonable here.
Also, I don't see why one needs a TOE to understand what's going on. The Navier Stokes equations have no solution, does that mean we don't know anything about the study of fluid flow? It means we don't have an exact closed form solution. But we still understand the physics very well.
What I am saying is that given enough time, money, and effort, a solution is highly *probable. If you want to bark at me "show me a solution, your wrong until I see a solution on my monitor RIGHT NOW!" then you're being unreasonable here.
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- #75
hypnagogue
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cyrusabdollahi said:
No one is barking at you like that. Most people here probably agree that ultimately the universe is explicable by scientific inquiry. The point is not to challenge the claim that it is likely that the scientific method can describe the universe completely. Rather it is to recognize the mere possibility that it cannot.
- #76
ice109
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tractatus or philosophical investigations, take your pick. i pick the latter
- #77
Moridin
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This might be a -huge- bump, but I recently discovered something and it relates to the earlier post I made in this topic here. I avoided addressing the point which would have been number 3 in the list. The argument is frequently used by various supernaturalists to try and discredit science and say that it is faith-based, just like their religion. Anyways, the argument goes like this:
"I have faith in the information I collect about my various type of supernaturalism. You have faith in much the same way about the scientific information you read."
or
"I have faith / believe in my type of supernaturalism and you have faith / believe in science".
So the question is if the scientific information you have learned that is not based on experiments performed by yourself is faith-based, just like supernaturalism. The answer is again, a solid no.
As it turns out, this argument is both a formal and informal logical fallacy called an equivocal fallacy. It is about using a specific word that has multiple definitions in situations where one context uses one definition and another context uses another one and then attempting to equate the two. I'll give an example of the equivocal fallacy:
"Either we hang together [cooperate], or we will hang separate [executed]"
The word 'belief' is one such word. The term is used to describe what a person's conviction is; what he or she is willing to bet on. Another meaning of it is that one assumes something is correct, but without the ability to know. Another example to illustrate the difference:
"I believe in democracy"
"I believe in supernaturalism"
The first one is defined with what one is willing to bet on; the other is one what one assumes to be true, but cannot motivate or know.
The key difference is that, generally, you either have a good reason to believe the things you do believe (evidence, reason etc.) or you don't (laking evidence, reason etc.).
There is good reason to be willing to bet on Science, whereas this does not apply to the supernatural (supernatural would fall under the assume to be true, but cannot know).
Score. I should write a book.
"I have faith in the information I collect about my various type of supernaturalism. You have faith in much the same way about the scientific information you read."
or
"I have faith / believe in my type of supernaturalism and you have faith / believe in science".
So the question is if the scientific information you have learned that is not based on experiments performed by yourself is faith-based, just like supernaturalism. The answer is again, a solid no.
As it turns out, this argument is both a formal and informal logical fallacy called an equivocal fallacy. It is about using a specific word that has multiple definitions in situations where one context uses one definition and another context uses another one and then attempting to equate the two. I'll give an example of the equivocal fallacy:
"Either we hang together [cooperate], or we will hang separate [executed]"
The word 'belief' is one such word. The term is used to describe what a person's conviction is; what he or she is willing to bet on. Another meaning of it is that one assumes something is correct, but without the ability to know. Another example to illustrate the difference:
"I believe in democracy"
"I believe in supernaturalism"
The first one is defined with what one is willing to bet on; the other is one what one assumes to be true, but cannot motivate or know.
The key difference is that, generally, you either have a good reason to believe the things you do believe (evidence, reason etc.) or you don't (laking evidence, reason etc.).
There is good reason to be willing to bet on Science, whereas this does not apply to the supernatural (supernatural would fall under the assume to be true, but cannot know).
Score. I should write a book.