Science is the new Religion.
Or so it's been said anyway. People have increasingly turned from their antiquated religions to take up the reigns of science and it's "objective" revelations.
The idea of science seems to be that it accumulates facts and slowly progresses closer to real truth. This idea has it's issues though. To begin with how can we know science is progressing towards "truth" if we don't have any way of defining truth on it's own.
What we see as true is most often defined in terms of what we can observe and measure, AKA science. (See:
Wittgenstein on Rules)
The problem is not that Science is bad, I think it's a beautiful subject which helps us find some clarity in our thoughts and beliefs, however people seem to put too much faith in science as some infallible "god" as it were. They view science as the final word, without questioning whether or not the very nature of science prevents it from being objective. It's important to realize that science like any other field is wrought with issues of human subjectivity and error, as it all requires some level of interpretation and analysis.
Science is subjective just like any other field, so society's impassioned elevation of science onto a god-like pedestal does not serve science well.
NOTE: Just to clarify as the issue seems to have some up more than once, the term "science" as used here is describing the field of study.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Definitions:
Objective - not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased
Subjective - characteristic of or belonging to reality as perceived rather than as independent of mind
Related Terms:
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Wittgenstein on Rules
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Logical Postivism
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STS Studies