What science does not do (Agnosticism)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Monday, December 20, 2010, 14:55 (5087 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

All of the sciences, and I include math, history, physical science, biology, psychology, anthropology, religion and philosophy and many others try to give us answers. In many ways they are all trying to answer the same questions from different perspectives. It would be more productive perhaps, though, if they would all figure out that they are all asking the same questions and work together instead of playing the 'My thing is bigger than yours" game.-I find it best to repost your words here in order that we may clarify my reponse. -The purpose, focus, and intent of the answers provided by the sciences is absolutely and necessarily narrow. You flat out say here that they should 'all figure out that they are all asking the same questions.' I have to assume you mean the philosophical questions, 'what is mankind and what is his place?'-But I challenge that this is NOT the goal of science, even less so of my cherished discipline of mathematics. An anthropologist might use math as a tool, but clearly--they have entirely different targets. Science is about building a probable model, and only religion and philosophy answer the question asked in my previous paragraph. To state more directly: Science and philosophy answer completely different problem domains, therefore they DO NOT answer the same questions. Science provides the data that philosophy then interprets.-As for not meaning to be taken linearly--no offense intended--write like it. Internet conversations require extra effort in order to preserve an author's intent and meaning. The old adage about the word 'assume' extends to cartoonish proportions when I don't have access to your facial features, tone, and inflection.

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\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"