I started a thread discussing dishonesty as the core value of supernatural religion. Now let us examine the core value of science, honesty.
Before we start, just to let you know that I am not a raving lunatic fanatic (or at least not completely, and besides, who says that just because someone is a fanatic they
automatically are right or wrong, after all it is up to the reader to make that decision) here is a link to an essay by Richard Feynman, a very well known Nobel Laureate in theoretical physics (and one of my heroes) and the co-creator of QED (Quantum Electrodynamics). A man who definitely knew how to think for himself.
"Cargo Cult Science" - Richard Feynman Quote:
| That is the idea that we all hope you have learned in studying science in school--we never say explicitly what this is, but just hope that you catch on by all the examples of scientific investigation. It is interesting, therefore, to bring it out now and speak of it explicitly. It's a kind of scientific integrity, a principle of scientific thought that corresponds to a kind of utter honesty--a kind of leaning over backwards. |
As Richard said, the scientific method is just an attempt at utter honesty. Try not to fool yourself, and try not to fool others and try not to be fooled by others. Of course science is performed by people and not all people succeed or even care to succeed at being honest but in the end honesty is what science is all about. Look at any scientific tradition and it is an attempt to be honest. When any philosopher or any religious person challenges science I laugh my ass off. They don't have the honesty in their entire historical traditions that an average scientist has their little pinky.
Starboy