Science, The unbiased and final arbitrator of truth: Really?
Thursday, January 24th, 2008Science is often presented as, or understood to be, so objective that there is very little if any bias, and if there is any it will soon be found out and decisively dealt with. The objectivity of science is portrayed as towering above other means of knowing. Frequently, in one form or another, I have heard the argument that, “science is the best or only real source or test of truth”. I have heard this mantra taught in university classrooms, articulated via the airwaves, and mentioned countless times by college students that I come in contact with. Science as the final arbitrator of truth is based in large measure on its supposed unbiased objectivity.
However, while science, particularly the scientific method, is an excellent way of studying and hypothesizing about empirical data within its legitimate domain, it does have domanial limitations, and it is not without inherent limitations and biases that can and do result in breaches of ethics, distortions of facts, and hyper-claims. Consider the following: (more…)