Re: Patriarchy: Re: What Matriarchy?

William Edward Woody (woody@alumni.caltech.edu)
Tue, 06 Aug 1996 00:22:28 -0700

In article <32060CEF.999@megafauna.com>, steve@megafauna.com wrote:
> ... but mostly I think that
> philosophy is an amusing waste of time, and that most serious and successful
> scientists don't bother with it.

And that's a serious problem.

If more scientists understood the philosophical underpinnings of what
they were up to, perhaps they wouldn't blunder into making so many
boneheaded and stupid errors during their scientific research, and they
may even be able to explain what the hell they're up to to a public
who thinks "essentialism" is a brand name for bottled water.

One of the primary problems I have run into (and I'm now running into
with the alt.pagan folks) is that once you go back and start
studying the philosophy which lead to the scientific method, you
find that there are serious limits to what science can, and should,
explain. You can understand that science has limits, and that even
the philosopher/mathematicians knew that science could never explain
everything. And you can see the viewpoint quandaries that many folks
get themselves into, such as Einstein, who in rejecting Quantum
Mechanics, said "God does not play dice with the universe."

So many folks, however, think that Science can explain everything,
that reality can be caged into little scientific boxes, that the
universe can be reduced to nuts and bolts and wave equations and
logic--they forget that there are things that are *expressly* not
covered under the Logical Objectivism/Logical Positivism umbrella--
such as the nature of God.

But this is a bit off topic.

Let me add, however, that philosophy is the original mechanism by
which mankind tried to explain the universe and the reality around
us. Science is simply one of the more hyperactive offshoots. By
understanding other philosophical schools of thought, it helps
you understand where other folks may be comming from, what they're
trying to do in order to explain the universe, and may even give
you a better appreciation as to exactly what various groups, such as
the post-modern deconstructionists are up to.

At least by better understanding them, you won't hesitate in
shooting them.

- Bill

Who took a Philosophy of Science to fulfill his philosophy requirement
at Caltech.

-- 

William Edward Woody  |  e-mail: woody@alumni.cco.caltech.edu

In Phase Consulting   |  WWW:    http://www.alumni.caltech.edu/~woody

1545 Ard Eevin Ave    |  Fax:    (818) 502-1467

Glendale, CA 91202    |  ICBM:   N:34.15' W:118.25'