Is superstition the mother of science?

Question

I'm asking this question because I heard that what we today call "chemisty" began deep in the dark, idolatrous temples in Acient Egypt, where the unknown was revealed through seers and divination. The ancient Egyptians called this process "khem mysteries."

Similarly today science continues to reveal to us that which exist but is unknown to us; although the process has been refined and confined - is it not the same, revelation of that which exist but is unknown?

Isn't it just the methodologies differ, but the primary and basic function is the same? Revelation of the unknown.

An example may be: If gravity exist, it always did [at least it did as far back as the days of the Ancient Egyptian] and it was found out [revealed] by inquiry, not inquiry to a invisible substance 'god' , but by seeking information from the universe asking it to reveal information about itself [natural law] by another method we call science.

Ok, several questions, but jump right in please. :)

Asked in R&S because superstition is the equivalent of "religious belief."

Thank you for the many thoughtful answers.

Answer 1

No, superstition is only the motherr of evolution theory.

Answer 2

Humans have an insatiable desire to understand what's going on. They seek answers to reveal what was previously unknown. They hope that through acquiring more knowledge they will be able to change things to make life better.

To that extent, science and religion and mysticism and superstition are similar- they seek to answer fundamental questions about how the Universe works.

The difference is primarily, as you say, the method. Science is simply a method- the scientific method. But oh what a difference the method makes!

Other forms of trying to answer these questions ultimately rely on assumptions. Someone makes an assumption, that assumption becomes accepted wisdom. The assumed answer becomes dogma.

Science seeks to test all proposed answers by a series of careful, intellectually rigorous steps. No matter how beautiful, complete, and compelling the proposed solution, if the facts don't objectively support it it must be discarded.

Without the objective testing that science does there's no real basis other than one's feelings to determine whether a claim is probably true. Science gives us a way to really test an idea instead of just assuming it must be true because it seems true. As a result, we see that applying this method has resulted in amazing changes in how we live and how long we live. Other methods such as superstition or religion or mystical revelation cannot point to such changes. Are all of the changes for the best? Probably not. But that science can effect such changes demonstrates that it's substantially different from other ways of claiming truth. It us up to our moral judgments (which are not subject to scientific testing) to determine what to do with this tool.

Answer 3

Science

Answer 4

I think that superstition is something our ancestors passed down from generations and like folklore we tend to ad hear to their words. Then again some people think and believe entirely that if they do not follow these so called superstitions they will become cursed or even die.
Meanwhile there are people who feel that it is something that comes from their gut instinct. True, that lots of us listen to our instincts because it has protected us so far. However even in our history books you can find where even the pilgrims were very superstitious about almost everything around them. The Indians believed in curses and such by their gods if they didn't do certain things in the villages but me personally I think its just something some people need to hold onto so they wont lose those famous memories of family members that have past on from this world.
Kinda like my grandmother she would have a fit if you broke a mirror, my cousin had a problem with stepping on a crack he thought for sure he wopuld break his mothers back.LOL

Answer 5

it all depends on what you mean by "science." If you mean simply being inquisitive and testing the world around you to find out what you can and can't do, then "science" originated with the emergence of the first intelligent life forms on the planet. They may have developed in this case - side-by-side, in overlapping learning/observation.

however, if you mean the modern scientific method, (that of
observing natural phenomena, formulating a hypothesis about
it, testing that hypothesis with experiments, collecting data,
and theorizing about the phenomena based of the information
you've gathered and the tests you've conducted);

I'd have to say that true science originated separately with the Greeks and the Chinese -- both these cultures used what we now know as the scientific method to discover new ways of doing things, and how the world around them actually worked.

some actually believe that science sprang, not from Ionian metaphysics, not from the Brahmin-Buddhist-Taoist East, not from the Egyptian-Mayan astrological South, but from the heart of the Christian West, that although Galileo fell out with the Church, he would hardly have taken so much trouble studying Jupiter and dropping objects from towers if the reality and value and order of things had not first been conferred by belief in the Incarnation. (Walker Percy, Lost in the Cosmos)

Answer 6

"Isn't it just the methodologies differ, but the primary and basic function is the same? "

Perhaps, but methodology is what defines science.

In a way, this is like saying "Aren't cars and feet exactly the same thing?".

Science necessarily involves observation.

Science requires one to put one's beliefs "out on a limb", identifying situations in which, if you're wrong, you'll know it.

Science does not provide proof, but rather, evidence. We tend to belittle that, and act as though evidence without proof doesn't add up to much. But that's a terribly narrow-minded attitude to take: scientific evidence (without proof) has utterly transformed our understanding of the world and our place in it, and done so largely for the better. Science has been spectacularly successful AND spectacularly useful.

Answer 7

of course not!

science is the study of many things. superstitions are just shallow assumptions made by people. although making theories and hypotheses is part of science, it doesn't mean that superstition is the mother of science. superstitions lack analyzation, data, reason, careful experimentation and confirmation. and some superstitions go way beyond science. so theories and hypotheses aren't necessarily supertitions. these have reasons about how these were came up and were proposed. superstition doesn't. they'd only say that they happen once or sometimes (not all the time).

Answer 8

No, science is the process of taking the phenomena (such as demonstrated by "khem mysteries")and finding a natural explanation for it, and throwing out the superstition and mythos.

Answer 9

i am COMPLETELY superstitious about science.

just the other day i was doing an experiement and my boss was looking over my shoulder and i couldn't get any of my techniques to work. but as soon as he left the room, ta-da! everything started working smoothly--my boss has bad ju-ju, nothing ever works when he's around. (in fact, all my coworkers and i believe all the phds have bad ju-ju...whenever theyr'e around our experiments go to crap)

but anway, that's really not your question. in antiquity, there was a blur between science and religion because "strange" natural occurances (seeds germinating, antibiotic properties) could not be investigated with the same sophistication level as we investigate occurances today--we have the benefit of past peoples knowledge, and with that we've invented incrediable technologies.

it is not appropriate to judge an ancient culture's "science" by our current standards of understanding.

superstition does not drive science..."Why" drives science.

Answer 10

science is the child of the huge curiosity of human, a hunger for truth and a desire to explain everything that happens. and superstition also comes from this curiosity, as time goes by, people get wiser and gather more information and sees that their previous assumption was wrong, it's then called superstition. so, not superstition, curiosity is the mother, u can call superstition a sister of science though!

Answer 11

There are incredible untold mysteries to be found in creation.
Mankind has been given the gift of intelligence to discover.
Our methodologies have been refined over time.
But the basic curiosity & desire to analyze are the same.
Through all this, GOD is revealing himself to creation (us).