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==Science as philosophy==

==Science as philosophy==

Science itself is ultimately philosophical.  Proof:

Science itself is ultimately philosophical.  Proof:

* Science <i>as a process</i> includes the various means of experimentation, observation, and analysis leading to empirically testable claims about the physical universe;

* Science ''as a process'' includes the various means of experimentation, observation, and analysis leading to empirically testable claims about the physical universe;

* Philosophy is the process by which humans develop and organize their thought processes, values, and criteria for "truth," which are not empirically testable;

* Philosophy is the process by which humans develop and organize their thought processes, values, and criteria for "truth," which are not empirically testable;

* Science <i>as a process</i> as described above cannot itself be empirically tested; on the contrary, it is a human means of understanding the universe which rests on philosophical assumptions and values, and which cannot be tested against anything except its philosophical [[coherence]];

* Science ''as a process'' as described above cannot itself be empirically tested; on the contrary, it is a human means of understanding the universe which rests on philosophical assumptions and values, and which cannot be tested against anything except its philosophical [[coherence]];

* Therefore, science <i>as a process</i> is not itself scientific; rather, it is philosophical.

* Therefore, science ''as a process'' is not itself scientific; rather, it is philosophical.

==Assumptions of science==

==Assumptions of science==

===Materialism and science===

===Materialism and science===

Some argue that materialism -- or the belief that nothing can be proven to exist except matter -- is an essential assumption of science.  However, this assumption is false for two reasons:

Some argue that materialism—or the belief that nothing can be proven to exist except matter—is an essential assumption of science.  However, this assumption is false for two reasons:

* Materialism has been scientifically disproven; matter has been proven to be merely one configuration of energy among many, and many other configurations of energy have no corresponding material reality;

* Materialism has been scientifically disproven; matter has been proven to be merely one configuration of energy among many, and many other configurations of energy have no corresponding material reality;

* The belief in the existence of matter ''and'' the existence of X does not preclude one from studying matter.  In other words, one's ability to observe and study the material world does not require one to deny the existence of any other, non-material reality;

* The belief in the existence of matter ''and'' the existence of X does not preclude one from studying matter.  In other words, one's ability to observe and study the material world does not require one to deny the existence of any other, non-material reality;

=== Science as objective or subjective ===

=== Science as objective or subjective ===

The schools of thought identified above can be grouped into two broad categories: those which demarcate science in objective terms (positivism and falsificationism), and those which demarcate science in subjective terms (the remaining schools of thought).  The objective schools of thought conceptualize science as something which can be objectively identified based on independent criteria -- essentially, an idea is scientific or unscientific regardless of what anybody thinks of the matter.  The subjective schools of thought conceptualize science as ''what scientists think'' or ''what scientists do'' -- thus an idea is "scientific" if it is accepted by the "scientific community," and ceases to be scientific if it is rejected by the same community.

The schools of thought identified above can be grouped into two broad categories: those which demarcate science in objective terms (positivism and falsificationism), and those which demarcate science in subjective terms (the remaining schools of thought).  The objective schools of thought conceptualize science as something which can be objectively identified based on independent criteria—essentially, an idea is scientific or unscientific regardless of what anybody thinks of the matter.  The subjective schools of thought conceptualize science as ''what scientists think'' or ''what scientists do''—thus an idea is "scientific" if it is accepted by the "scientific community," and ceases to be scientific if it is rejected by the same community.

This issue becomes important in the [[evolutionism]] vs. [[creationism]] and [[plate tectonics]] vs. [[expanding earth]] controversies.  Typically, evolutionists use arguments which assume a subjective definition of science -- creationism is unscientific because it is rejected by most scientists, or because it (supposedly) does not have peer-reviewed journals, or because it is "advanced for religious purposes."  Creationists, on the other hand, typically use arguments that assume an objective definition of science -- for example, [[common descent]] is not science, because it cannot be experimentally tested.

This issue becomes important in the [[evolutionism]] vs. [[creationism]] and [[plate tectonics]] vs. [[expanding earth]] controversies.  Typically, evolutionists use arguments which assume a subjective definition of science—creationism is unscientific because it is rejected by most scientists, or because it (supposedly) does not have peer-reviewed journals, or because it is "advanced for religious purposes."  Creationists, on the other hand, typically use arguments that assume an objective definition of science—for example, [[common descent]] is not science, because it cannot be experimentally tested.

== What is science good for? ==

== What is science good for? ==

* [[Scientific instrumentalism]] is the belief that science leads to useful, although not necessarily ''true'', descriptions of the world;

* [[Scientific instrumentalism]] is the belief that science leads to useful, although not necessarily ''true'', descriptions of the world;

[[Category: Science]]

[[Category:Science]]

[[Category: Philosophy]]

[[Category:Philosophy]]