Philosophy of Science is about as Useful to Scientists as Ornithology Essay

Philosophy of Science is about as Useful to Scientists as Ornithology is to Birds - Essay Example Philosophers tend to question why things happen the way they do. Science is a field that establishes answers to the questionings from philosophy. According to Feynman, the philosophy of science is an aspect that helps scientists in immense ways although the scientist may never understand the ways in which it does all these. Feynman, as a physician believed in the empirical calculations of science and did not understand the philosophy surrounding science. However, his analogy gives scientists the impetus to analyze the importance of philosophy to science. There is a probability that philosophy contributes a whole lot to science but scientists do not notice. On the other hand, it would be rational to analyze how the two fields interrelate. Many scientists do not believe in philosophy today. This is contrary to what used to be the case before. Many scientists of the old times merged philosophy and science. In the old times, scientists combined science, philosophy, and theology. In the l ife of a scientist today, experimental evidence is fundamental to prove any theory right. Scientists need to understand and define methodologies that lead to a conclusion. Philosophy applies reasoning and rationality and is not an option for many scientists today. It is worth noting that most of scientific breakthroughs started as philosophical enquiries in the past. Pioneers in science found philosophy a worthwhile field and gave it some consideration as a field that could offer insights on nature (Lange, 2007:33). Albert Einstein is a good example of scientists who attached value to philosophy. In one of early books, Einstein argued that everyone should apply philosophy. Some philosophers argue that scientists should adopt... Science and philosophy are two academic fields that seek to establish new knowledge and validate it to pass for the truth. Philosophy does the bigger part of validation and considers empirical; science as a source of information. Some scientists in the past have given philosophy a dismissal because of its lack of substantial evidence. A clear understanding of the two fields will help an individual realize the worth and role of philosophy. The two fields gather knowledge and qualify it as truth using different methods. Scientists should not expect philosophers to dwell on empirical calculations because philosophy as a field uses rationality and logic. On the other hand, science must use experiments and empirical data to ascertain its findings. The two fields may incline on the same issues but they tackle them differently. Philosophy of science plays a bigger role than Feynman claimed. Some critics argue that he contributed to physical philosophy although he did not acknowledge it. Fey nman and his supporters overlooked the importance of philosophy. Underrating philosophy lacks justification because a close examination of its role indicates that it contributes greatly to science. The example of the contributions of philosophy of biology is an illustration that philosophy of science and science can complement each other.