Question

Discuss the limitations of scientific knowledge based on specific scenarios

Answer 1

Scientific knowledge can answer a lot of questions and it can result in many researches that change the world but it has its certain limitations such as:

1. Scientific knowledge can’t be used to make moral judgement: is euthanasia the right thing to do, should animals have rights as well, what should be the universal rights for humans. These are some typical examples where scientific knowledge cannot answer them, people must take these judgement based on morality and science can’t tell if something is wrong or right.
2. Scientific knowledge can’t be used to make aesthetic judgement: Scientific knowledge cant tell you which color is best, which painting is great and which one is not. Everyone takes the judgement based on their taste and personality.
3. Science can’t tell you how to use your scientific knowledge: Science can tell you how to gain knowledge and do things but it can tell you how to utilize it. For example your knowledge can tell you how to isolate and correct the DNA base pairs in a new and efficient way but it can’t tell you how you would use it, if you should use it to correct some genetic disease or develop a new virus or bacteria or some new fruit. Knowledge tells us how the world is, but how we develop it, is up to us.
4. Scientific knowledge can’t explain many supernatural things: these types of questions are matters of faith and spirituality and science can’t explain them like does god exist, does gods intervene in human lives. These questions are usually out of natural order thus out of the range of science as well. Because science is based on evidence and reality.