Is science a form of mythical thinking?

Question

This author argues that science is a form of mythical thinking It has the same structure and pre-logicallity- ie does not avoid contradiction as does so called primitive thinking.tHE AUTHOR SHOWS THAT JUST LIKE PRIMITIVES SCIENCE JUST AVOIDS THE CONTRADUICTIONS THAT UNDERMINE IT. ie dual nature of light, petersburg paradox in probablity theory russels cantor set theory paradox sholem paradox in axiomatics theory godels demonstarion that mathematics cannot be proven to be non-se;lf contradictory What do you think.
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Answer 1

paradoxs only appear because of lack of information, or no way of possibly getting a certain type of information.

Science slowly irons out paradoxs into truths.

For instance just because you can describe light as a wave or particle does not make it a paradox. It just means you haven't found the means to describe it well enough to tell exactly what it is.

Also science is only true up to the point at which it has the information necessary to make a sound judgement.

Answer 2

Science thrives on people challenging it. If someone can come up with a new theory and enough data to back it up then science will accept the new theory. There are some areas of science that are very hard for a layperson to understand. Light, gravity, quantum mechanics, sub-atomic theory, and high level physics can be very confusing and it may seem like there are direct contradictions in parts of them. However, these are new sciences. The theories are relatively new and very hard for the public to grasp. I would not say that science is mythical thinking because of this.

Science is logical thinking. At no point does a scientist say that some magical event occurs in their theory. A scientist may extrapolate an event that happens but does not have evidence to back it up. This usually causes a good scientist to work to find the evidence or some proof. Sometimes the theory is announced anyway and then other scientists can start to work on either finding the proof or for finding proof of some other process. However, it is never just said that something magical happened.

Some people attack what they do not understand. Most people in the US do not understand science. They will ridicule it and even confront it at times. Some will try to avoid it and even thwart it. Yet, there will always be scientists doing research and testing. It is funny though, the people who are anti-science have no problems benefitting from the fruits of science.

Answer 3

Yes, science involves mythical thinking. Every intellectual discipline must, of necessity, have myth at its base. Myth is the truth that is self-evident or not subject to dispute.
Science, more than many intellectual disciplines, requires a rigorous method of argument and dispute. In fact this method could, arguably, be classified as self-evident and therefore mythic. So, Science as such is mythic, though the specific conclusions of science are not.

Answer 4

Science is based on practical experiments associated with the process involved ; whereas in mythology end results are seen & everyone can't get the same, hence science is not a form of mythical thinking.

Answer 5

It all depends on your definition of what we call it myth or mythical thinking.

Mythical thinking is, as a matter of fact, the scientific thinking of yesterday, and scientific thinking the mythical thinking of today. Both require open-mindedness, fertile imagination and the start of an assumption, no matter how weired it may be. If every man is innocent until proven guilty, then every observation is right until proven wrong. Good luck!

Answer 6

Ann your killing me:)

I say that the probability still exhists that myths are some fantastic things to look at. Lets say the Unicorn for instance. Was there such a Horse or is it a myth and how doesvScience prove that it's not a myth unless it had proof and that proof is not here so we have nothing about the "flying unicorn horse."It remains a Myth.

Answer 7

In many ways, science is mythology. Science, like myth attempts to explain phenomena. Mythology is not necessarily false and science is not necessarily false. Neither is necessarily true either. The only difference is that science attempts to prove its' theories, myth merely explains, or illuminates.

Answer 8

Dude...how did you get through English class ? I don't mean this as a personal criticism toward you, but your question isn't exactly clear. And you understand Philosophy ?