The Pathway Machine

[Purple Rabbit]

Philosophy is not a part of science; Philosophy is to logic what science is to nature. Yes, you can use Philosophy within science (to answer questions about ethics, existence, etc) but it is wrong to say that philosophy is a part of science. There are many philosophies that have nothing to do with science. Whilst science relies on experiments and observations, philosophy relies on rational arguments and reasoning. Science might contribute a few things to philosophical thinking (such as equality of the sexes being a part of ethics), but that doesn't make them the same.

Separating philosophy and science doesn't make much sense. Historically speaking science is an offspring from philosophy. For a long time science was part of philosophy. Later the term natural philosophy was used and later still experimental philosophy was adopted . The use of experiment as a guidance to gain knowledge of the world sets science apart from philosophy. But still science has to begin with a question, an idea to assess. Philosophy aims to clarify questions about existence. Questions that in science aren't yet well thought out. It thereby uses a number of tools, logic being its foremost one. This is exactly what happens in the first phase of empirical investigation. An idea is followed through in a purely rational exercise. The next step is the formulation of empirically falsifiable statements.

String theory is a clear example of philosophical investigation forerunning experimental evaluation. String theory so far has no falsifiable formulation. Vast numbers of theoretical scientists are involved though. But according to Popper's demarcation rules string theory on this ground cannot be called science. So what is it? Sheer speculation, an intellectual excercise with no bearings in the real world? Or is it philosophy excercising a brilliant idea with mathematical tools and logic. I say it is philosophy feeding to science. Philosophy and science are in symbiosis. Science feeds philosophical investigation and vice versa.