Just a little bit about science and reason. I remember the first time I heard the Sam Harris quote, If someone doesnt value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic? At first I was pretty impressed by it. It seems so obvious. How could someone not value those things? The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that its a rhetorical move, not a logical one. Its a strategy to convince, not to prove. Essentially, its a move to bring something transcendental into an argument, while disguising the fact that youre doing so. Well give this the umbrella term reason. How CAN you prove the value and validity of reason? Im not sure you can, without appealing to reason in some way. Any argument for it is going to be circular, so you have to presuppose it. Without reason, we dont have the tools (logic, ability to evaluate evidence, etc.) necessary to do science. So, from the start, you either have to begin with a vague, essentially transcendental concept (reason), or you have to realize any attempt to objectively justify science never leaves the ground. Youre left choosing between one of two positions. 1) accept reason as a blunt fact and a starting assumption, without being able to prove its worth. If you do this, you can make truth claims about the fruits that reason bears (i.e. scientific discoveries), but youve lost a leg to stand on when youre discussing other unverifiable starting assumptions people make about reality. 2) deny the value of reason as a starting assumption, and realize theres no objective basis for using reason to make any sort of normative truth claims. We may use science because it works and has worked so far, but its quite hard to distinguish it from other forms of knowledge and investigation based on anything except its sheer utility. To be honest, I waffle back and forth between the two positions. But once you realize this, it makes it a lot harder to look down on people making fairly moderate claims about much of anything, and it makes it a lot easier to really take exception with people who take TOO hardline of a position either way, either for or against science. And yes, Im still going to grad school. And yes, I still think I want to do research long-term. So do with this what you will.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:06:28 +0000
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