Reason and Science - Essay Example

Common sense and logic enable various practitioners to comprehend a situation and dissect it effectively to develop solutions using a cognitive approach. Therefore, even a scientist should base his or her discovery of practicality and reason. In science, philosophers and physicists are known to create exciting results whenever they join forces. For example, Boris Castel and Sergio Sismondo offer readers an exciting discussion about scientific inquiry by presenting a few myths. Like many other scholarly works, the book dispels the major assumptions that constitute common sense. These assumptions attempt to explain science as a product of an impeccable logic or as a mysterious creation whose results are yet to be explained. This paper seeks to discuss and illustrate how reason, common sense, and logic are necessary for breakthroughs in science.

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The most impressive trait of an outstanding scientist is not his or her discovery, but it is figuring out how to make sense of it and how to connect it to the material world (Colin, and Urbach, 2006). In Chapter 3 of The Art of Science, Castel and Sismondo discuss the course of scientific reasoning. According to the authors, logic is important in science because it is the work needed to develop and expand specific reasoning skills (Castel and Sismondo, 2003). As much as logic and reasoning are essential in science, the process often results in patterns that resemble computations. A common myth that stereotypes many scientists is that they are computers who use pure logic to obtain their respective results; however, history has repeatedly shown that science cannot be done by mere computers: developing scientific knowledge requires skills that computers cannot have. Marie Curie and Edward Jenner effectively used their ability to reason to amazingly utilize their respective discoveries to better European society.

Logic alone cannot allow an individual obtain scientific knowledge as logic is self-contained and doesnt by itself hook onto the material world, therefore a person with a logical mind may not be suited for the field of science. However, individuals with the ability to reason have the opportunity to figure out what makes sense thus allowing them to expand their ideas onto the world around them and create innovations that change their respective environment. Therefore, scientists use scientific inquiry as a way to investigate the social aspect of science (Zimmerman, 2000). For example, in an attempt to answer the question of where humans came from, Charles Darwin examined the social aspect of his scientific research to illustrate his reasoning. Because of Darwins reasoning, todays scholars and researchers, who are in the same field, still base their research on the theory of evolution. Nonetheless, Castel and Sismondo note that scientists who use reason find it better to keep an open mind. This is supposed to enable scientists to develop existing knowledge despite all the scientific discoveries that seem to explain many phenomena.

According to contemporary scientific literature, there is great interest in experimentation among scientists who seek to present reasonable theories. In one section entitled Experiments Have Lives of Their Own, (Castel and Sismondo, 2003) emphasize the essence of experimentation in science using existing theories such as contemporary microscopy and the equilibrium theory. The authors note that experimental knowledge is important because it helps disclose information about potential investigation avenues. This experimental knowledge helps scientists identify logical theories. Through experience, scientists state that this decision takes huge risks and numerous working hours. The artificial results and practical effects of an experiment provide an account of the potential of a given experiment. For example, the Big Bang Theory was based on pure experimentation. However, the logic behind the experiment provided scientists with a means to explain how humanity came into existence.

In Chapter 6 of their book, Castel and Sismondo explore science in relation to its institutional character. The chapter covers a number issues including womens place in science. However, the chapters focus is how science has proven to be useful through its actual implementation in the real world. The authors use the words Big Science to name scientific discoveries that have proven useful in society (Castel and Sismondo, 2003). For example, Marie Curies ability to utilize her and her husbands research in radioactivity and X-rays to help her adoptive country France in the First World War brilliantly exemplifies why history defines Curie as an outstanding scientist. Curie came to the realization that X- rays could save soldiers lives by allowing doctors to see bullets, shrapnel, and broken bones in a wounded soldiers body. Currie gave herself a quick lesson in anatomy and made her way to the battlefront to help operate some of the Petit Curies (Pasachoff, 1996). Curies ability to reason allowed her to connect her research to her world around her in order to save the lives of many wounded men in the war and greatly aid the French military during their war efforts (Quinn, 1995).

Therefore, a great scientist must be able to do more than pure calculations driven by logic. A scientist must possess the ability to reason and connect their research to the material world to create a change in their respective society.

Works Cited

Castel, Boris, and Sergio Sismondo. The Art of Science. Peterborough, Ont. [u.a.: Broadview Press, 2003. Print.

Howson, Colin, and Peter Urbach. Scientific reasoning: the Bayesian approach. Open Court Publishing, 2006.

Pasachoff, Naomi. Marie Curie: And the Science of Radioactivity. Oxford University Press, 1996.

Quinn, Susan. Marie Curie: a life. Da Capo Press, 1995.

Zimmerman, Corinne. "The development of scientific reasoning skills." Developmental Review 20.1 (2000): 99-149.