Science and Religion: Introduction- Nature of Science and Technology

Science and Religion - Introduction

Nature of Science and Technology

 Nature of Science

Sarukkai, Sundar. What is Science? Delhi: National Book Trust, 2011. 

Science is derived from the Latin word ‘Scientia' meaning knowing. In Western context ‘science’ comes into general use after 1300 A.D. and was primarily understood as knowledge acquired by ‘study’. There are different meanings of science and consider the different ways in which science is understood in each of these meanings.

       (i) Science as a concept

Recognizing some characteristics of science that is present in different subjects and different types of activities. It involves classification and categorization. When we put together disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology into a category called science we are recognizing that these are loosely related to each other. So. Science as a concept denotes science at category bringing similarity between diverse subjects and activities with the idea of relatedness as in a  family.

      (ii) Science as Title

It is bestowing upon a discipline or activity and Science is the title that scientists bestow on others. The title of science has value in the present times, it is only reasonable to expect spurious claims to science-hood, it was religion or philosophy which had this value and physicist and mathematics often invoke the idea of God or of religion to validate their work.

      (iii) Science as Method

Science is characterized by a special method, the scientific method. The essence of science is this scientific method.  It is a systematic method of continuing investigation based on observation, scientific hypothesis testing, measurement, experimentation, and theory building.

      (iv) Science as a Criterion for demarcation

A good scientific assertion should always allow for the possibility that it could be wrong and there should be ways to show how it is wrong. Verifiability is not a proper criterion for science. The idea of science itself becomes a hallmark of demarcation, it gets equated with truth, rationality, logic and becomes the criteria for demarcating science for non-science.

      (v) Science as Inquiry

Science is a particular kind of Inquiry. Inquiry means the search for truth, Science emphasizes the importance of asking a question. Inquiry is the most basic of the human faculties involved in the process of any learning particularly science learning.

      (vi) Science as Search for truth

Science has an intrinsic engagement with truth. It is based on belief. Science is primarily an activity designed to uncover the truth about the physical world. Truth in science is closely related to the idea of scientific knowledge.

      (vii) Science as a Way of Thinking and Doing

Science is associated with critical thinking. Critical thinking is equated with logic in a reasoned manner. It also demands reasons for accepting any conclusion.

      (viii) Science as narrative

Science is a grand story of nature. It tries to understand science by what it says and the way it says it. The bigger and grander narratives of science are also characterized by attempts to unify diverse phenomenon and suggest predictable capacities.

      (ix) Science as a Worldview

Science provide a platform for looking at the world in terms of awe, wonders and curiosity. It is characterized by a view of nature that science implicitly or explicitly holds.

      (x) Science as a Means of Controlling the World

Science attempts to control and overcome the limitation of the world. Science finds it possible to control, manipulate and intervene in nature.

      (xi) Science as Political

Science is inherently social in nature, by political we mean decisions and actions that have to do with a group of people. Science has a relationship with the nation-state, also closely tied  to democracy by various intrusive technologies

 Nature of Technology

Dusek, Val. Philosophy of Technology: An introduction. Oxford: Wiley, 2006.

Arthur, W. Brian. The Nature of technology: what it is and how it evolves. London: Penguin, 2009.

 Technology is a means to fulfill a human purpose. It is an assemblage of practices and components. Also, technology is the entire collection of devices and engineering practices available to a culture.

Three definitions or characterizations of technology are

 (a) Technology as hardware: technology is as tools and machines.

(b) Technology as rules: patterns of means-end relationships

(c) Technology as a system: includes hardware as well as the human skills and an organization that is needed to operate and maintain it

 

Technology as Applied Science

Much of contemporary technology is applied science. Technology involves knowledge, particularly technical know-how, many of the specific inventions are products of chance or of trial and error, not a direct application of scientific theory to achieve a pre-assumed goal.

The Rise of Technology

The rise of technology has opened up the possibility of changing nature, of making it becomes something which it was not intended to be. Technology offers humanity the ability to impose its own authority upon nature, redirecting it for its own ends. 

Where once humanity was prepared to contemplate nature, its desire now ''is to achieve power so as to bring force to bear on things, a law that can be formulated rationally. Here we have the basis and character of its dominion: arbitrary compulsion devoid of all respect." No longer does humanity have to respect nature; it can dominate and direct it through the rise of technology. On the basis of a known formula, materials and forces are put into the required condition: machines. Machines are an iron formula that direct the material to the desired end. 

This ability to dominate and control nature will inevitably, according to at least some cultural analysts, lead to the deification of technology, resulting in a culture which "seeks its authorization in technology, finds its satisfaction in technology, and takes its orders from technology" (Postman). As Moltmann correctly observes, the blame for this development can hardly be laid at the door of Christianity, or any other religion.