In everyday language, belief in science is the very uncritical attitude of people towards science and towards scientific findings. People who believe in science do not question research results. They are convinced that scientific knowledge is absolute and beyond reproach. The word itself confounds two systems, namely science and religion. In fact, science has nothing to do with faith at all. On the contrary, the word composition even devalues science. Belief means that a belief is based on personal opinion and not on facts.
People hold on to their beliefs
With the help of Science, scientific research gives people new insights and new knowledge. Science works methodically, the results of research work can be verified or falsified. Science is always verifiable and verifiable. Faith, on the other hand, is absolute. Credibility cannot be verified and cannot be falsified. There are no categories of true or false in this context, because faith is beyond doubt. In Meaningonline.de there is lots of terms to read up on which at first glance sound paradoxical, like belief in science.
scientism and religion
Scientism, as defined by the French biologist Felix le Dantec, assumes that there is a scientific answer to every question and that everything can be explained using scientific methods. Religion is to be rejected in this context. God cannot be rationally explained, neither verified nor falsified. An inexplicable God cannot cause people to act. Conversely, the Church initially rejected scientific methods. They are contrary to the divine image that faith should convey to human beings.
Science works miracles
In the past, when people got an infection, their lives were always in danger. Medical discoveries like antibiotics have made infections less terrifying. Technical devices, surgical methods, transplants today contribute to the fact that many lives are saved.
For many scientists, science is the only thing that people can trust and rely on. With the help of biochemical investigations, many physical and psychosomatic illnesses can be cured if the appropriate medicines are already available.
When people are seriously ill, science and belief in science reach their limits. Then it usually only succeeds in keeping people alive. The question then arises as to whether this is actually desirable.
Belief in science and the development of new substances
Researchers are constantly working on new substances that will never exist in nature. Many of these substances do good things, such as drugs used in cancer therapy. They can prolong life and improve the quality of life.
But there are also new substances that cause damage in nature if they are released in an uncontrolled manner. For example, in the 1970s, tranquilizers and sleeping pills came along thalidomide for use. It has helped many people. When used in pregnant women, however, the drug had devastating consequences. Many children were born deformed, for example some were born without arms or legs, or the extremities were crippled.
Scientific belief and the military
People have always fought wars. It is always about power, about money or the personal interests of those in power. Science has always developed new weapons, including nuclear warheads capable of destroying the entire world. Before there were nuclear weapons, it often didn’t take much to start a war. The Second World War cost the lives of more than 55 million people.
The nuclear warheads and ICBMs on both sides ensure that not every little dispute escalates. Scientists believe that nuclear weapons, with their long range and devastating effects, act as a deterrent and have prevented some wars since 1945. Because everyone always has in mind what terrible things atomic bombs can do after atomic bombs were detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the last year of the Second World War.
Belief in science also has limits
In the case of radioactive substances, both the use and the disposal are a problem. Radiation is a health risk for all living beings. Disposal is therefore extremely complex and storage for many generations is required. When it comes to generating energy from nuclear power, this is an aspect that is often pushed aside. Again, science is called upon to develop new techniques to solve these problems.
There are also other materials that do not emit any radiation into the environment, but still pollute the environment because they can hardly be recycled. During industrial development, new substances are created that replace the predecessor and promote the consumption of natural resources. Televisions, for example, used to be devices that were built to last. If something broke, the technician came and fixed it. If a television breaks down after just a few years, it often cannot be repaired at all. It must be discarded and replaced with a new one. The old device is only used as electronic scrap for cannibalizing.
Conclusion
Scientific advances have brought prosperity to people. This applies to medicine, chemistry, physics and many other branches of science. Digitization is creating new professions. On the other hand, everyone can be reached anytime, anywhere. Surveillance systems have emerged that can be used for both good and bad. It’s not always good to believe strongly in science and not to question its achievement every now and then. Not everything that research produces is good for humanity. Sometimes the application of new technologies also transcends moral or ethical boundaries.
02/27/2023