Re: Scientism,truth, & knowledge

Pim van Meurs (entheta@eskimo.com)
Mon, 16 Jun 1997 21:44:22 -0400

Keith: But you didn't answer my question. What knowledge do we derive from
science? What are we justified in claiming to "know" and can any claim
to knowledge be made without also making a truth claim?

The knowledge derived from science is in the form of data and observations
and hypotheses to explain these data. Our knowledge is limited by our
observations and data but there is no claim of truth made in science.
After all one of the basic foundations of science is falsifiability.

Keith: I submit that the answer to this question is "no"; any claim to
knowledge entails a belief that that which is claimed to be known is true.
However, if as
you say, truth can never be found in a scientific environment, how can
we say that our knowledge has increased because of it?

That's where we disagree. Science does not claim to know the truth.
Increased observations, data and theories can increase our knowledge and
understanding of what makes the world around us tick. Can we be sure that
we are correct in our understanding of the world around us ? Nope,
although one can make a good attempt and there are mechanisms in place
that our understanding of the world is not portrayed as the 'truth'.