No, I meant that the original question said only "science," but if you take out all practical/material aims of science and focus on just the knowledge component of it, it looks more like philosophy or epistemology, and people seem to grant that a certain degree of slack. People seem to accept the natural loftyness of philosophy, but see science as grounded in hard fact. John Stuart Mill said that we debate about what is "right" and "wrong" without arriving at a conclusion yet we are so sure that the basic principles of mathematics hold, when in reality our morality is no less grounded than our mathematics.
The Aim of Science
- Thread starter Fifty
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No, I meant that the original question said only "science," but if you take out all practical/material aims of science and focus on just the knowledge component of it, it looks more like philosophy or epistemology, and people seem to grant that a certain degree of slack. People seem to accept the natural loftyness of philosophy, but see science as grounded in hard fact. John Stuart Mill said that we debate about what is "right" and "wrong" without arriving at a conclusion yet we are so sure that the basic principles of mathematics hold, when in reality our morality is no less grounded than our mathematics.
Dr Tiny
Warlord
Science is very much based on the philosophical way of thought. A Ph.D (or D.Phil) is a Philosophy Doctorate ie I agree 
brennan
Argumentative Brit
He said the truth behind the unknown. Not the unknown itself. It's understanding why there are pebbles on Brighton beach, not counting them.
Bozo Erectus
Master Baker
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Crime scene investigation.
Che Guava
The Juicy Revolutionary
Whoooooooo are you?
Who, who. Who WHO!
Science, IMHO, is a quest to answer questions about the world around us using logical deduction and imperical evidence...
Thorbal
not enough ram!
There is no aim in science. If there is something we want to know, we use a certain set of techniques so others can perhaps reproduce the results or not. That´s it. Empirical evidence, as Che already said.
And yes, this is applicable to the social sciences as well
we have our own methods not too different from the natural sciences. It´s not just "talking about stuff the whole day" , as some people always want to convince me 
.
And yes, this is applicable to the social sciences as well
we have our own methods not too different from the natural sciences. It´s not just "talking about stuff the whole day" , as some people always want to convince me .
Italian Celtic
real european
the aim of science is help humanity studing all natural phenomenons
Science cannot explain the metaphysical or even if there is a metaphysical.
yes but we should explain what is the metaphysical
metaphysical (from ancient greek "besides physics") is all that we can't observe or check with our senses or tools
for example life after death is a metaphysical argument
instead psychology isn't metaphysical given that we can study and check mind's phenomenons
C.S.I.?
Zarn
Le Républicain Catholique
Looking at my post, I can see what you think I was saying. I was merely saying that science cannot explain all of the unknown.
Che Guava
The Juicy Revolutionary
azzaman333
meh
To figure out stuff that is of interest to someone.
Fugitive Sisyphus
Escape Artist
I wouldn't disagree.
Fifty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That doesn't make any sense without adding more onto his view than he originally stated.
There is a proposition that is either true or false, namely "spec of dust P is x millimeters from spec of dust Q which is y millimeters from spec of dust R". The truth value of that proposition is currently unknown. If the aim of science is to discover the truth behind the unknown, then that would qualify as an unknown. You can't just add stuff to the view and then claim its the same thing!!!
Dr Tiny
Warlord
Well science allows you to predict that there will be dust on your desk and can provide the means to measure the distance should we so want.
The scientific cleaning industry does not need to know about specific dusty desks, just dusty desks in general.
The scientific cleaning industry does not need to know about specific dusty desks, just dusty desks in general.
Bozo Erectus
Master Baker
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Will science ever tell you why dusty desks are important?
This is one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard. Anyone who is familar with the history of man will realize that scientific discovery has always led to practical application and that having scientists think about concrete and profitable applications would surely kill this golden goose.
1) Get me a starship
2) To build tools to do more science!
2) To build tools to do more science!
brennan
Argumentative Brit
You are using a different definition of truth than his statment. You also know it.That doesn't make any sense without adding more onto his view than he originally stated.
There is a proposition that is either true or false, namely "spec of dust P is x millimeters from spec of dust Q which is y millimeters from spec of dust R". The truth value of that proposition is currently unknown. If the aim of science is to discover the truth behind the unknown, then that would qualify as an unknown. You can't just add stuff to the view and then claim its the same thing!!!
aneeshm
Deity
The aim of science is the complete understanding of everything amenable to analysis by the scientific method, or the creation of a set of tools capable of understanding anything which can be scientifically analysed, or both.
Bozo Erectus
Master Baker
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This the fallacy that most western thought operates under
