unspeakablehorror | Science and Ethics (Reply)

Science is a very important tool for assessing the world around us, and a very important area of philosophy, but I feel like a lot of times people forget that it is a tool for a very specific purpose, with very specific limits.

Science is a form of observation. Its purpose is to help illuminate us about what is. This is a very important purpose. But it is not the only thing we as humans seek to know or understand. We also seek to decide what should be, and science cannot tell us that. It can help guide us in determining actions we might take to achieve a particular goal, but it cannot tell us if that goal is worth achieving.

The institutions of science are also not synonymous with the process that is science. Science at its core requires a dedication to observation, to replication, and to replicability. For a wide variety of reasons, the institutions and individuals that perform science do not always act in line with these ideals. This does not mean we should ignore these institutions and individuals, but we should try to be aware of their limitations and evaluate their work according to the principles of science, not the fame or prestige associated with their name.

Science simply isn't an ethical framework. There are plenty of philosophical frameworks which encompass or even focus on the question of ethics. And we need to employ these other frameworks to have meaningful discussions about politics and ethics.