Originally posted by arnold Science rests on a philosophy of reason, and sadly reason is being undermined. " -it is philosophy that lays down the epistemological criteria of all special sciences." Mysticism and Skepticism are the alternatives turned to when science and reason are ignored. Here is another quote in this regard:
"In the history of philosophy—with some very rare exceptions—epistemological theories have . . . taught either that knowledge is impossible (skepticism) or that it is available without effort (mysticism)"
Good quote. I've had philosophers (=with a PhD in philosophy) tell me that philosophy created scientific logic, that philosophy was responsible for all scientific advance because it was the iron rock of reason. There are many ways to distinguish philosophy and science. Philosophy relies on "in my mind:" infallible reasoning will yield the Truth. Science relies on objectively testable predictions from something reasoned: if what I think is true, then this should happen. That is the core of science, the "if-then" that leads to an experiment or test. No matter who does the test, no matter where, the results should/will be the same if the original theory is correct. Philosophers reasoned that water was one of the four basic elements (they thought everything came in fours because that was how the universe worked: four elements, four seasons, four cardinal directions that produced four winds, four humors that determined human health, four stages of life, etc.). Science predicts that water is not an "element" but rather is made of two elements: two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. IF that be true, THEN water can always be broken down yielding hydrogen and oxygen in a 2:1 ratio. Then someone says: I broke down water and got 2H to 1O but I also got sodium, calcium, chlorine, iron, sulfur and many other things, so water is more than just hydrogen and oxygen. Scientist replies: you should not start with sea water. BUT, the scientific assertion that water is made of two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen is for some people "just a theory" that will some day be overturned, and water can go back to being one of the four elements of which all things are made. We can also discard all of modern medicine, which is based on science - antibiotics, vaccines, antiseptics - and return to getting our four humors balanced with doses of St John's Wort and ginseng.