What is this thing called Science? By Alan Chalmers Quick Book Review
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What is this thing called Science? By Alan Chalmers
Quick Book Review
Sometimes you might read 3 books on a topic, yet on the 4th realize that you should have read it before all the rest. If there is one book you are going to read on the philosophy of science, it should be this one. If you want to read more, start with this one.
Chalmers book is easily the most clear and accessible introduction to the philosophy of science. A high school physics teachers who became a professional philosopher, Chalmers knows how to break down some very complicated discussions into simple language & digestible paragraphs.
Scientific knowledge is not the same thing as sensory knowledge. It’s much more probabilistic & theoretical than knowledge you generally acquire with your senses.
One cultural problem we have today is that we either place too much or too little trust in science. But those who have studied/done science in university and also understood the philosophy of science know the middle path.
Scientific knowledge is simultaneously quite fallible & tentative but also highly potent & useful. This confuses many. It’s not surprising that for many it leads to doubt and suspicion about science and scientists, or extremism (Marxism, Nazism, New Atheist scientism etc). When scientists & the media overstate their certainty and confidence in scientific knowledge, that just makes it all worse.
Scientific knowledge is just one type of knowledge among many, and it’s conclusions should be contextualized as such. It is NOT a defeater for most fundamental, everyday beliefs we have as human beings (like ethical beliefs) let alone God or religion.
