Science ~ What is it really about?

Quantum Quack

Quantum Quack

Life's a tease...
Valued Senior Member
The question is not that easy to answer if one chooses to look deep into the driving motivation behind science generally.

Scientia potentia est "Knowledge is power"

"Ipsa scientia potestas est" was a phrase attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, it means "knowledge itself is power" and was included in his writings titled "Meditationes Sacrae" (1597) the actual term that is in popular use today, Scientia potentia est (knowledge is power) has been attributed to Thomas Hobbes in 1668 in the written work "Leviathen".

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The questions that come to mind to offer for topical discussion are:

  1. Are they correct in their assessment, that knowledge is power?
  2. How does this relate to the pursuit of knowledge?
  3. What power are they talking about?
Do you have any other questions related to the topic?

Care to discuss?
 
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Quantum Quack said:
The question is not that easy to answer if one chooses to look deep into the driving motivation behind science generally.

Scientia potentia est "Knowledge is power"

"Ipsa scientia potestas est" was a phrase attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, it means "knowledge itself is power" and was included in his writings titled "Meditationes Sacrae" (1597) the actual term that is in popular use today, Scientia potentia est (knowledge is power) has been attributed to Thomas Hobbes in 1668 in the written work "Leviathen".

View attachment 2546

The questions that come to mind to offer for topical discussion are:

  1. Are they correct in their assessment, that knowledge is power?
  2. How does this relate to the pursuit of knowledge?
  3. What power are they talking about?
Do you have any other questions?

Care to discuss?
Click to expand...

Sure

Science , is about knowledge .

Power destroys .
 
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Friedrich Nietzsche ( 1844 - 1900), a philosopher of some repute wrote a work called the "der Wille zur Macht" or in English "The Will to Power"
from wiki
The will to power describes what Nietzsche may have believed to be the main driving force in humans – achievement, ambition, and the striving to reach the highest possible position in life. These are all manifestations of the will to power; however, the concept was never systematically defined in Nietzsche's work, leaving its interpretation open to debate.
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Quantum Quack said:
Friedrich Nietzsche ( 1844 - 1900), a philosopher of some repute wrote a work called the "der Wille zur Macht" or in English "The Will to Power"
from wiki
The will to power describes what Nietzsche may have believed to be the main driving force in humans – achievement, ambition, and the striving to reach the highest possible position in life. These are all manifestations of the will to power; however, the concept was never systematically defined in Nietzsche's work, leaving its interpretation open to debate.
​
Click to expand...

So once there , in position of power , what do you do with it ?

That defines the Man
 
Science is really about knowledge .

The more knowledge , the greater the chance of survival . For us .

Not just on this planet , Earth . But beyond as well .
 
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What is science's ultimate ambition?
Say in 2000 years from now what do we hope to have achieved?
 
DaveC426913 said:
A better understanding of how the universe works, of course.
Click to expand...
Science is entirely without ambition. It is simply knowledge, built up through observable, repeatable, and testable experience, that allows for prediction.
Scientists, on the other hand... that's where the ambition lies. ;)
 
Quantum Quack said:
The question is not that easy to answer if one chooses to look deep into the driving motivation behind science generally.

Scientia potentia est "Knowledge is power"

"Ipsa scientia potestas est" was a phrase attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, it means "knowledge itself is power" and was included in his writings titled "Meditationes Sacrae" (1597) the actual term that is in popular use today, Scientia potentia est (knowledge is power) has been attributed to Thomas Hobbes in 1668 in the written work "Leviathen".

View attachment 2546

The questions that come to mind to offer for topical discussion are:

  1. Are they correct in their assessment, that knowledge is power?
  2. How does this relate to the pursuit of knowledge?
  3. What power are they talking about?
Do you have any other questions related to the topic?

Care to discuss?
Click to expand...
Neither of these people was talking about natural science.

Scientia = knowledge. We use "science" nowadays as shorthand for natural science, in the same way some annoying people speak of "technology" when they mean information technology (IT).

So your opening post is rather off the mark to start with.

What do you want to talk about? Natural science, or the human search for knowledge gnerally?
 
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