The debate between science and philosophy is a fight between humanitarians and scientists that continues over the decades. Some argue the epistemological facet of science supersedes the dialectical analysis of philosophy and vice versa. However, although the conflict never settles it is safe to say the two intellectual claims largely differ from each other.
Science vs Philosophy
The main difference between science and philosophy is that science deals with hypothesis testing based on factual data whereas philosophy deals with logical analysis based on reason. Researchers opine science depends on philosophical theories that have not yet found empirical validation.
Science also differs from philosophy as science is the branch of activities that deal with testing and proving the hypothesis related to natural phenomena whereas philosophy is a broad term relating to the logical reasoning of the nature of our reality, ethics and aesthetics, limitations of our thinking, and many more.
Another difference is in the way each branch was named. Science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning “knowledge” whereas philosophy comes from the Greek word “Philosophia” meaning “love for wisdom”. Science originally was a branch of philosophy and was known as “natural philosophy”.
Comparison Table Between Science and Philosophy
| Parameter of Comparison | Science | Philosophy |
|---|---|---|
| Derived from | Latin word “Scientia” meaning “knowledge” | word “Philosophia” meaning “love for wisdom” |
| Basis | deals with hypothesis testing based on factual data | deals with logical analysis based on reason |
| Related areas | related to the natural phenomenon | logical reasoning of the nature of our reality, ethics and aesthetics, limitations of our thinking, etc. |
| Origin | originally a branch of philosophy, natural philosophy | Emerged from the basic search for knowledge |
| Practitioners are known as | Scientists | Philosophers |
What is Science?
Science is the stream of knowledge that deals with proving a hypothesis related to natural phenomenon and it encompasses empirical reasoning of hypothesis testing. Science originally was a branch of philosophy and was known as “natural philosophy”.
Science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning “knowledge”, was initially found evolving in Egypt and Mesopotamia which was later merged with the stream of natural philosophy emerging in Greece about the same time. The subject initially concerning mathematics, medicine and astronomy were collaborated with the science of natural phenomenon to create what is today called Modern Science.
Modern Science is an enterprise that consists of four streams and they are natural sciences, social science, formal sciences, and applied sciences. Natural science deals with the study of nature and consists of physics, chemistry, and biology. Formal science deals with the study of abstract concepts encompassing mathematics, computer science, and logistics.
Applied sciences deal with the application of the natural and formal sciences combined and consists of medicine and engineering. Social sciences comprise of reasoning and analysis of our society as a whole and its fellow individuals. It includes psychology, economics, and sociology.
What is Philosophy
Philosophy comes from the Greek word “Philosophia” meaning “love for wisdom”. The origins of this intellectual enterprise are rooted in the basic questions concerning human existence and the realities surrounding us. Philosophy also deals with the relationship between our existence and our realities.
Philosophy deals with logical analysis based on reason and is a broad term relating to the logical reasoning of the nature of our reality, ethics and aesthetics, limitations of our thinking, and many more. People, who are experts or utilitarian of such theories, are called Philosophers.
Traditionally, western philosophy in the ancient and medieval era was highly dominated by religious thoughts and dictions from the church. However, modern philosophy cut loose of such obligations and emerged as a more rational and logical stream of reasoning of all assorted theories.
The main branches of philosophy include epistemology, metaphysics, mind and language, value theory, logic, science and mathematics, and history of philosophy. Growth in philosophy is a constant uphill battle towards finding the truth and its progress is measured in how one theory replaces another with changing times.
Main Differences Between Science and Philosophy
- The main difference between science and philosophy is that science deals with hypothesis testing based on factual data whereas philosophy deals with logical analysis based on reason.
- Science also differs from philosophy as science deals with testing and proving the hypothesis related to natural phenomenon whereas philosophy is a broad term question concerning human existence and the realities surrounding us.
- Another difference is that Science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning “knowledge” whereas philosophy comes from the Greek word “Philosophia” meaning “love for wisdom”.
- Modern Science is an enterprise that consists of four streams and they are natural sciences, social science, formal sciences, and applied sciences whereas main branches of philosophy include epistemology, metaphysics, mind and language, value theory, logic, science, and mathematics, and history of philosophy.
- Science originally was a branch of philosophy and was known as “natural philosophy” whereas philosophy deals with the relationship between our existence and our realities.
Conclusion
Both Science and Philosophy deal with the intricacies of logic and reasoning but they differ in the way each perceives and deal with the knowledge in question. Philosophy is the oldest concept of dealings with knowledge and science is a branch of it that was originally called “Natural Philosophy”.
The main difference between science and philosophy is that science deals with hypothesis testing based on factual data whereas philosophy deals with logical analysis based on reason. Science is conceived from philosophy and is thus, dependent on its theories, to begin with.
Another difference is that Science comes from the Latin word “Scientia” meaning “knowledge” whereas philosophy comes from the Greek word “Philosophia” meaning “love for wisdom”. Science also differs from philosophy as it deals with proving the hypothesis related to natural phenomenon whereas philosophy is a broad term that includes questions concerning human existence and the realities surrounding us.
Modern Science is a stream of education that comprises natural sciences, social sciences, formal sciences, and applied sciences whereas the main branches of philosophy include epistemology, metaphysics, mind and language, value theory, logic, science and mathematics, and history of philosophy.
References
- https://philpapers.org/rec/MANHAP-2
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/289075