(July 24, 2015 at 5:57 pm)Nestor Wrote: ... On the other hand, Coyne's praise and frequent usage of philosophers was an unexpected welcome, unexpected because certain popular scientists of the present generation seem to have a misguided knack for denigrating philosophy as a useless or worn-out tool for discovery and making sense of phenomena. Overall, I'd give it 4/5 stars.
Somehow, that made me think of Uncle K, who lately is busy with a new child instead of performing his sacred duty of helping people at this site. (To those not in the know, Uncle K is also known as "Alex K".) He is a scientist who seems to have a very good understanding of the division between science and philosophy, and he does not seem to denigrate either. Not inherently, only bad examples of them.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
