Philosophical boundaries of modern science
Broadly speaking Philosophy concerns ultimate questions of God and humanity. This is to take the subject at it's origin and continual influence down the ages. There are question marks over it's fitness to address modern questions of human science beyond this point, however, and we will have to address these at the proper time.
Yet there are good reasons why philosophical boundaries for human science be set because of the divorce of the modern mind from ultimate questions of the human soul. The words human science have been deliberately used since there is a very real sense in which no science can be a science without the a priori existence of human beings. I don't think I shall receive many objections of substance on this point! This brings us into immediate conflict with the modern assumption that the natural sciences- physics, biology and chemistry may exclusively adopt the title 'science'. What is often in mind where the word is used is a very particular interpretation of the word ‘science’.
I trust I will not be misunderstood at this point. I wish to contend for the fruitfulness of the ‘natural’ human sciences not to undermine them. My concern is only to lay out the boundaries for the participation thereof. And so the burning question is? What is science and what is the relationship it should enjoy with humanity? This seems to be a question that has been left largely untouched in the rush to engage in and pursue the knowledge of science.
Interestingly the great theologian Aquinas referred to all areas of human knowledge as the 'philosophical sciences'. We, like Aquinas, would do well to consider the broad theological and philosophical contours with which he considered them. But this will off course have to be considered in a very different way. Aquinas’ understanding of the philosophical sciences was dependent upon the Aristotleian corpus, a significant amount of which has been proved inaccurate by modern science. My argument is not that modern human science has not turned many aspects of our understanding of the world around, but rather that it has not overturned the fundamental tenets of our humanity and the boundary lines that have first of all been given us by God.
The intrusion of ‘science’ into these historical and cultural boundaries must be sharply dismissed by a redefinition. This dismissal should be understood as a cutting back in order that a more robust environment be created. The only way to set about this is to use the concept of human science. This will enable science to grow in right relation to the core issues of our world.
Monism
What we are really grappling with when we consider the boundaries of natural science (meant in the sense of general knowledge rather than biology, chemistry and physics in particular is the problem of monism). As far as introductory boundaries are concerned this is an issue of philosophy of mind. The modern mind has been captivated by monism – the reduction of all things into their biological, physical and chemical constitution. Hegel described the main philosophical issue of his day as a ‘loss of Spirit’. And this is the same general problem that we encounter in ours, although we may mean different things by the phrase. The principle issue of theological engagement today is the nature of the Holy Spirit. Reality is not simply material. This is the philosophical assumption of the headlong rush into the pursuit of science which our society has often followed without realizing it.
May God help us. We are in the presence of a mighty Spirit! Let us press on to acknowledge him first of all and be guided and directed in all we do by his presence and glory!
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