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      Debates about Science

      In the fascinating and controversial area of science studies, some hotly debated questions are:
  • Should we try to define good science in terms of worthy goals and effective methods, or should we forsake idealism and simply define science as "whatever scientists do"?
  • What are the connections between worldviews and views of science?
  • In what ways are the methods of science — and theories generated by science — influenced by culture?
  • If cultural bias exists in a scientific community, how can its knowledge claims be evaluated objectively and accurately?
  • What are the relationships between thinking methods used in science and in other areas of life?
  • Is research science (to explore and expand the frontiers of knowledge) more scientific than applied science (to develop practical uses for what we already know)?
  • What are the similarities and differences between science and engineering?
  • How should we view the scientific contributions made by experimental work (to allow observations) and theoretical work (to interpret observations)?
  • In what ways should a scientist's ideas, attitudes, and behavior — such as research choices, theory evaluations, personal and professional relations, views on ethics (environmental, medical, academic, economic, personal,...) — be affected by a Christian worldview?
  • Is atheism more scientific than theism?  Is there a "war" between science and religion?
  • Would an occasional miracle eliminate the possibility of science?
  • Should we define science as an empirically based search for logical explanations, or an empirically based search for natural explanations?  Why is this question important when we evaluate theories of origins?
  • Do some people think the goal of science is not (or should not be, or cannot be) a search for truth?

      These provocative questions, and others, will be examined from a variety of perspectives.  We'll look at science through the eyes of scientists, and from the viewpoints of philosophers, historians, sociologists, psychologists, educators, and others who study the process and products of science.

 
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      Debates about Science
      Eventually, this area will offer you a wealth of interesting ideas to explore.  Currently, there is a foundational beginning:

      The activities of scientists build on the logic of scientific method.  The question in many debates is the influence of cultural-personal factors (relative to empirical data and logic) on the process and content of science.
      One cause for concern is the silliness that occurs when a rational idea is taken to an extreme.  For example, the moderate skepticism in Scientific Method by Donald Simanek seems logically justifiable, and most scholars (including myself) agree with most of what he says.  But when other people exaggerate these views — and they often do — there is cause for concern:
      Wild controversies and hot debates!  Are some views of science dangerous for students?  Can too much of a good thing be harmful?  Which views are accurate, and which are beneficial?  Do scientists seek the truth?  Do they claim proof?  Do they create reality?  How can we avoid running off (or being carried away) to silly extremes?  Why is it necessary to ask, Should "the methods used by scientists" be EKS-Rated? (by Craig Rusbult)

      And there are different views about Methodological Naturalism in the area for Questions about Origins.

All links on this page were checked-and-fixed on June 29, 2006.

A DISCLAIMER:
In this page you'll find links to resource-pages expressing a wide range of views, which don't necessarily represent the views of the American Scientific Affiliation.  Therefore, linking to a page does not imply an endorsement by the ASA.  We encourage you to use your own critical thinking to evaluate everything you read.

This page — http://www.asa3.org/ASA/education/science/debates.htm — is the
homepage (written by Craig Rusbult) for one sub-area in THE NATURE OF SCIENCE:
Stories of Science     Debates about Science     Christians in Science
   

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