Interesting post, ManMachine. Personally I wouldn't describe science as a religion, but I would say that there are some people who make science into a religion. I suppose it is then what some call 'scientism', using the definition from Wiki....
'Scientism is belief in the universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or most valuable part of human learning to the exclusion of other viewpoints.'
Certainly there is a risk of imbalance in our understanding; if science is pursued too much at the cost of understanding our history, for example. Or there is risk of inappropriate censorship, such as dismissing poetry and great literature because it does not see the world through the lens of science.
At its best science leads to a great broadening of our horizons. But there is also a danger that, for some, it leads to a narrowing of their horizons.
Anyway, that's just the way I see things.
'Scientism is belief in the universal applicability of the scientific method and approach, and the view that empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or most valuable part of human learning to the exclusion of other viewpoints.'
Certainly there is a risk of imbalance in our understanding; if science is pursued too much at the cost of understanding our history, for example. Or there is risk of inappropriate censorship, such as dismissing poetry and great literature because it does not see the world through the lens of science.
At its best science leads to a great broadening of our horizons. But there is also a danger that, for some, it leads to a narrowing of their horizons.
Anyway, that's just the way I see things.
