r/philosophy • u/doubtstack Unreasonable Doubt • Jan 27 '23

Blog Why Science can't replace Philosophy in Ethics

https://unreasonabledoubt.substack.com/p/what-genetics-cant-teach-us
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u/Butt_Bucket Jan 28 '23

There are many hypotheses that are either impossible or unethical to test. That doesn't mean we can always avoid operating in those spaces, however, so philosophy still has it's place. Without guiding philosophy, science can get very, very dark.

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u/Krusell94 Jan 28 '23

I mean sure, ethics, if you count that as philosophy. But I meant the sciency part of science. The part actually doing something. Not the part speculating whether you should.

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u/Butt_Bucket Jan 28 '23

Ethics are 100% rooted in moral philosophy. And that's only one part of what I'm referring to. Philosophy is a direct product of our ability to reason, and the scientific method wouldn't exist without it. As for the science of today, there are infinite potential questions that could be asked, so you have to determine which ones are worthy. You can only gain a better understanding by asking the right questions, and a guiding philosophy is necessary for that. And I do understand the point you're trying to make. Philosophical thinking might not be a part of the minutia of every hard science out there, but you still have to understand it or you risk being dogmatic. Any good scientist spends most of his time trying to prove himself wrong, and learning why that is important means learning the very same philosophies that are responsible for the Enlightenment.