In the Gospel According to John, the author retells a conversation between Jesus of Nazareth, who is on trial, and Pontius Pilate, the governor of the Roman province of Judaea. Jesus asks Pilate what is truth, and Pilate responds, “What is truth?”
What is truth?
Philosophers have struggled with this question since the dawn of time
- The prevailing theory of truth, at least among the public and certainly among scientists, is the correspondence theory
- Truth corresponds with facts and reality
- Many scientists would take this a step further and argue that the scientific method is the foremost system for determining facts
- Therefore, science is the best tool to determine truth
Philosophers vs. Scientists
Two philosophers have presented substantial challenges to the epistemic privilege of science
- David Hume argues that inductive logic is unjustified
- Immanuel Kant provides another challenge: It is impossible for humans to distinguish between reality and our perception of reality
- There are no dispositive responses to these challenges, which is why scientists generally respond with, “Buzz off, philosophers.”
Science can’t answer the big questions
Science has demonstrated capably that it is the best way to understand the material universe, but it still can’t answer the biggest questions in life.
- For example, the economy, love, beauty, and purpose – science has nothing substantive to say about these topics, yet they are the driving forces behind most human behavior.
