Question

The ethos of scientism and postmodernism has exacerbated the perceived philosophical and cultural tension between science and religion. What is you perceptions of this tension?

Answer 1

The controversial problem between science and religion is only this factor, that science comes with assumptions whereas religion restricted to do so. This phenomenon made problem in various research programme and projects as the people were contradict over many such issues. This can easily be happen to anyone of any religion, any caste etc. because science has not any religion or caste it only requires a robust proof and verification. As the science made success with their outcomes that is technology, made various things easy in our day today lives but on the other hand this also made some trouble in believing of culture of late 20th century, because any scientific thing comes with assumptions some are must to be followed to prove the thing scientificly correct. Scientsm is the belief that science is the only means of acknowledging reality, it is a philosophical thesis that focuses on facts. On the other hand, religion and spirituality involves the belief in science (to anextent) but also embraces the idea of God’s creatons. The tension between scientsm and religion, in myopinion, falls solely on the fact that science fails to explain absolutely everything. There are some things that just cannot be proven with facts alone. This gives the opportunity for religion/spirituality to fill in the gaps regarding morals and ethics.

The current context of health care and medicine in the West is defined by an ethos (the prevailing attitudes and beliefs of a culture) of scientism and relativism. This ethos has exacerbated the perceived philosophical and cultural tension between science and religion. The result has been a general relativizing and caricaturing of religion, and the elevation of “science” as the default epistemology for all things “rational” or even true. While scientism may seem commonsensical or rational at first glance, a closer examination reveals glaring weaknesses. It should be noted right from the outset that “scientism” is not equivalent to “science.” This is because “scientism” is a philosophy about the nature and limits of science as well as the extent of human knowledge. Scientism is a philosophical thesis that claims that science is the only methodology to gain knowledge; every other claim to knowledge is either mere opinion or false. One of the most pressing dilemmas’s for scientism is science’s inability to make moral or ethical judgments.

References:

Burkhardt, M. (1989). Spirituality: An analysis of the concept holistic nursing practice. New York, NY: Aspen Publishers, Inc.

Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.spiritualityandhealth.duke.edu/

Moreland, J.P., & Craig, W.L. (2003).Philosophial foundations for a Christian worldview. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.

Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2006). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing (2nd ed.). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.