Topics Science

Question Recently, I have reached the conclusion that I no longer 'believe in science'. Many people have found this hard to understand, and I myself am struggling with the concept. Is it even possible to disregard something which so many hold in such high esteem? I feel that the basis for my beliefs, or lack thereof, lies with the question of infallibility. Upon broaching the topic with friends from my philosophy class, I was told that not believing in science was simply not an option. I had to believe in it, because it was all around me. My counter argument was that science was elitist, something for the select few, in that there are very few people who actually 'know the truth'. One friend in particular pointed out that I had to believe in gravity, as it was acting on me all the time, and that the clothes I was wearing and the dye I use in my hair were all products of science. I remain unconvinced though, as neither my friend, nor anyone I know, can actually prove these beliefs they regard so highly. Has no one considered the possibility that science is simply an invention to 'fob off' the masses about the world in which we live? I don't wish to sound like a conspiracy theorist; I am simply looking to understand why or if we should all believe in science and what the implications are if we are all wrong?

Accepted:
January 24, 2008

Comments

My brief reply would be that I don't "believe in science" either. But I do believe that for many questions, science provides our best way of getting at the likely answers. And I also believe that in any number of cases, the most reasonable belief by far is that science has gotten it right. Are some illnesses caused by viruses? The evidence seems pretty overwhelming. Are there electrons? As some people like to point out, we've even learned how to manipulate them. Are water molecules made of hydrogen and oxygen? What reason is there to think not? The list could go on and on.

Not everything that science says or has had to say is true. But then, I'm not aware of any infallible sources of knowledge, and science doesn't claim to be infallible. On the contrary, science takes much more seriously than people are usually inclined to that we are indeed fallible, and so we need to be careful when it comes to settling difficult empirical issues. But for a lareg range of questions, I can't even begin to imagine a better way of approaching them than the way that science does.