Essay Example on Philosophy & Science: The Bond Since Aristotle to Bertrand Russell

For many years, the concepts of the connections between philosophy and science have endured. Today, the link is still preserved and is growing stronger in a significant manner. Since Aristotle passed away, Bertrand Russell became one of the greatest philosophers during the 20th century. The philosopher established fundamental philosophy on many subjects. The most significant of his work was in the field of analytic and logical philosophy. Russell had the critical view that philosophy ought to be built on science rather than vice versa, and if unchecked, it might be disastrous to science (Russell 2). This idea by Russell is an entirely debatable perception that is interesting in the field of philosophy.

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From a personal point of view, I do not agree with Russell's view. I believe that philosophy is an independent sphere that can grow on its own. Many people support the opinion that sciences can be developed independently without philosophy, and they believe that the field cannot philosophize. The understanding of philosophy by these groups of people is based on the perceptions that philosophy has no base and is supported by vague theories. This is a poor interpretation of philosophy. As a result, it is then easy to concur with the warning of avoiding derivation of science from philosophy.

However, the particular sciences that have, for a long time, depended on philosophy should not stop now. It is undeniable that connecting philosophy with science has caused the former to draw from many ideas of scientific discoveries. Therefore, it is possible to make it the other way round. Philosophy is a field that is harmonious with almost every sphere and helps in explaining the different events in society. For instance, scientific research on human behavior is based on the philosophical works of Plato and Socrates. From their arguments, scientific explanations are developed that are used in various sciences like sociology (Laplane et al. 3948).

Many of the general ideas provide insights into the force of philosophy that the concepts have been articulated as the basis of modern science. Many examples suggest that the sciences ought to be built on philosophy. The idea that is behind the atomic structure of things, as developed by Democritus, is an excellent example. Also, the philosophers Mikhail Lomonosov and Pierre Gassendi came up with the perception that molecules do exist as particles or complex structures that comprise of atoms. These are but a few examples that illustrate the influence of philosophy on science. It is impossible to deny the fact that philosophy has nurtured science. For example, the hypothesis concerning the cellular structure proves that philosophy can stand on its own without relying on science and that the latter can draw concepts from the former (Laplane et al. 3948).

Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy that deals with the methods, foundations, and implication of science. Here, what qualifies to be science, how reliable scientific theories can be, and the purpose of science is examined. The association between science and truth is tested. This truth is recorded in philosophical work. This field indicates the importance of philosophy in science.

Philosophy offers conceptual clarification, which no only improves the utility and precision of scientific findings but also brings us to the novel scientific experiments that investigate the primary hypotheses of philosophy. An example of this is biological research in the stem cell, which has contributed significantly to medicine. Secondly, cognitive science has, for a long time, relied on philosophy. The theories and experiments that led to the development of research on behaviorism and cognitivism are developed from philosophy (Laplane et al. 3949).

The scale of scientific work and its social significance has attained immense proportions. For instance, philosophy and physics were connected from the beginning. This can be proved from the works of Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Einstein, among many other works of scientists whose broader outlook is based on the borrowing of ideas from each other, i.e., by scientists from philosophers and vice versa. Philosophy may be referred to as the science of sciences because of its effect in creating self-awareness of other sciences which source from it. Sciences today draw their methodological and world-view principles from the philosophy that are constructed from philosophical work into concise forms (Laplane et al. 3949).

In general, philosophy and science are equal collaborators that are assisting in the exploration of creative thoughts, which help establish scientific truth. However, it does not replace the specialized categories of sciences and does not dictate them; it only empowers them with the general guiding principles and theories that guide them. This association makes scientific philosophy a crucial part of the system of sciences that existed in history and today (Laplane et al. 3948).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the steps that have been established to show how philosophy can be effectively integrated into science are significant. Maintaining an intimate relationship between philosophy and sciences will enhance the vitality of the sciences. More importantly, modern science will not survive without the influence of philosophy. This is because the interpretation of data within each science will become difficult to interpret without a valid theoretical basis. Scientists need to understand the usefulness of philosophy and incorporate it at every level for its ultimate benefits (Laplane et al. 3951).

Works Cited

Laplane, Lucie, et al. "Opinion: Why science needs philosophy." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116.10 (2019): 3948-3952. https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/116/10/3948.full.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3qWpT4kEmarjVwGbPJzzfR0XV9-nKiDuNYeN0ud5tCa_wSIjNjc_1n15s

Russell, Bertrand. The impact of science on society. Routledge, 2016. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vEv7CwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=bertrand+russell+philosophy+should+be+built+on+science+&ots=2TBXc72E2-&sig=hykG06Ce020TRda-vD3XzlyjH-Y&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=bertrand%20russell%20philosophy%20should%20be%20built%20on%20science&f=false