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From: garys@ecsvax.UUCP (Gary J. Smith MD)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Re: RE:  Weird Science (response)
Message-ID: <460@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Sep-85 12:52:43 EDT
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Posted: Fri Sep 20 12:52:43 1985
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Rich, I find your rhetoric about science disturbing, if not dangerous.
There is nothing more dangerous than a human's claim to knowing the
"objective truth."  When you say that science is the objective and
methodical search for facts, you are sadly ignoring the scientific
method's limitations.  And I would argue that science is only useful
when its limitations are kept firmly in mind.  

I believe it was Charley who tried to convince you of the subjectivity
of science.  Let me try my hand at it.  Put simply, the work of a
scientist, no matter how honest and noble a scientist he is, in large
part always reflects his preconceived notions and assumptions.  Why?
The reason is that the questions a scientist asks govern the results
of his work.  Asking questions is a very subjective activity; it
always reflects what concerns the asker.  To the degree that some
questions are asked and others are NOT asked, science is therefore
subjective.  Add to that Heisenberg's insights, and science is no
longer the objective and value-free endeavor that you want it to be.
It seems highly dishonest to ever claim objectivity.  It is an
impossibility.

The horrors committed in the name of science always are founded on
just such an assertion: "These are the facts--science proved them.
This is the objective truth.  You cannot argue with us, for we have
the Truth as Science has given it to us."

-
Gary Smith