Scientism

AV1611VET · May 18, 2016

Scientism

lesliedellow · May 18, 2016

What is your definition of scientism?

SkyWriting · May 18, 2016

AV1611VET said:
Scientism

Nothing warms my heart more than brevity.
But I'm on the fense for reductionism, I guess.

AV1611VET · May 18, 2016

SkyWriting said:
Nothing warms my heart more than brevity.

Kenny'sID · May 18, 2016

lesliedellow said:
What is your definition of scientism?

Are we allowed to use names to describe the epitome of scientism in order to in turn show definition?

SkyWriting · May 18, 2016

Kenny'sID said:
Are we allowed to use names to describe the epitome of scientism in order to in turn show definition?

Seems harmless enough.

Kenny'sID · May 18, 2016

SkyWriting said:
Seems harmless enough.

Yep, as harmless as that tiny snowball that was thrown off a mile long slope.

lesliedellow · May 18, 2016

Kenny'sID said:
Are we allowed to use names to describe the epitome of scientism in order to in turn show definition?

I want to hear AV's definition. The term is ill defined enough for it to mean whatever somebody wants it to mean.

Chesterton · May 18, 2016

I'm glad Christianity wasn't called Christianism cuz everything with an "ism" on the end is just bad, BAD I tell ya.

Kenny'sID · May 18, 2016

lesliedellow said:
I want to hear AV's definition. The term is ill defined enough for it to mean whatever somebody wants it to mean.

I understand, just couldn't resist the comment.

Chesterton · May 18, 2016

Yep, I remember the days when scientism was a much bigger problem in society. They used to have separate drinking fountains for scientists and non-scientists.

AV1611VET · May 18, 2016

Kenny'sID said:
I understand, just couldn't resist the comment.

I'm not sure leslie realizes the OP is a link to the definition.

timewerx · May 18, 2016

As an inventor, here's my opinion on the subject:

I only endorse "scientism" if I needed to prove something.

But if I'm actually inventing something, I must sometimes assume that certain laws are not absolute and we may have possibly overlooked things that could rarely occur and certainly doesn't occur in nature often enough to be observed.

There are certain things I would not have invented or probably discovered at a much much later time (most certainly by accident) have I stuck to the scientific method. In other words, it would delayed the discovered or simply never discovered it at all.

Two of my inventions concern things that may circumvent well known laws in physics. If I always assumed that the laws of physics are absolute, then I wouldn't have bothered to make any effort of trying to find what others missed. I would have invented just another cool car...But that is not what people need. We need change.

AV1611VET · May 18, 2016

timewerx said:
But if I'm actually inventing something, I must sometimes assume that certain laws are not absolute and we may have possibly overlooked things that could rarely occur and certainly doesn't occur in nature often enough to be observed.

Do you believe in perpetual motion?

timewerx · May 19, 2016

AV1611VET said:
Do you believe in perpetual motion?

No.

I only consider the possibilities when I'm trying to find something.

But unless proven via scientific method, then it remains a possibility as opposed to the truth.

quatona · May 19, 2016

AV1611VET said:
I'm not sure leslie realizes the OP is a link to the definition.

I´m not sure you realize the OP is a link to an article listing and describing a variety of different definitions.

lesliedellow · May 19, 2016

AV1611VET said:
I'm not sure Leslie realises the OP is a link to the definition.

Scientism thus defined is a form of secular fundamentalism. Wrong at best, and downright dangerous at worst.

quatona · May 19, 2016

"Scientism", quite obviously, is a pejorative term (just like, yes, "fundamentalism" or "political correctness").

Look here - from the first paragraph in the Wiki-article:

Accordingly, philosopher Tom Sorell provides this definition of scientism: "Scientism is a matter of putting too high a value on natural science in comparison with other branches of learning or culture."
(emphasis added)

So who the heck would say: "I endorse the notion that we should put too high a value on...."??

On another note, from the fact that the question comes from a person whose motto is "SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE", we have a rough idea how extremely low his threshold is when distinguishing between putting an appropriate value on science and putting a too high value on it ("scientism").

Abraxos · May 19, 2016

The kind of scientism that seems to pervade popular culture is strange to say the least. I suspect the emergence of militant atheism as the main influence on the impressionable. It's become this widespread belief that the only source of knowledge and truth is physical science; and if something can't be proven through the physical sciences it is meaningless or cannot be known. That is simply a false and self-refuting theory of knowledge. Consider the statement 'You should only believe what can be scientifically proven.' Can that statement be scientifically proven? Obviously not, as it is just an arbitrary definition, the view is literally self-refuting, and yet this seems to persist in pop culture very widely and prevents people from finding spiritual truths and spiritual knowledge.

Kenny'sID said:
Are we allowed to use names to describe the epitome of scientism in order to in turn show definition?

I could name two that monkey around this site.

quatona · May 19, 2016

Abraxos said:
That is simply a false and self-refuting theory of knowledge. Consider the statement 'You should only believe what can be scientifically proven.' Can that statement be scientifically proven? Obviously not, as it is just an arbitrary definition, the view is literally self-refuting,

And if it could be scientifically proven, you´d call that "circular reasoning".
I suggest you better abstain from putting up standards that result in epistemological nihilism.

(besides, the above statement is neither a definition nor arbitrary)

We hope the site problems here are now solved, however, if you still have any issues, please start a ticket in Contact Us

Scientism

Do you endorse scientism?

Yes

Other

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

Member

The Librarian

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

Well-Known Member

The Librarian

Well-Known Member

Member

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding

Well-Known Member

Whats So Funny bout Peace Love and Understanding

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

the village i--o--t--

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

the village i--o--t--

"God"? What do you mean??

Member

"God"? What do you mean??

Christ is King

"God"? What do you mean??

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency