The Unseen Force of Scientism
During my nine-day hospital stay after a cancerous tumor removal, I encountered a nurse who asked about my profession. When I told her I was a philosophy professor, she inquired about my educational background. As I shared my credentials, she looked puzzled and mused aloud that I had taken two divergent paths – from science to theology and philosophy.
Her expression revealed a common misconception: that science deals with reality and hard facts, while theology and philosophy are mere private opinions or personal feelings. This mindset is rooted in scientism, an intellectual and cultural force that pervades our society.
What is Scientism?
Scientism is the view that the hard sciences provide the only genuine knowledge of reality. It asserts that scientific knowledge is vastly superior to any other discipline and that ethics and religion are acceptable only if they are understood as inherently subjective and private matters of opinion.
This ideology is often expressed in subtle ways, even by those who don’t realize they’re perpetuating it. For instance, journalist Michael Kinsley once wrote that human embryos are merely “microscopic groupings of a few differentiated cells” with no inherent value, implying that only scientific facts matter, while beliefs about human souls are irrelevant.
Examples of Scientism in Action
Marilyn vos Savant, a columnist with a high IQ, once advised a reader to ignore his friends’ arguments against his parents’ religious beliefs, stating that “religions cannot be proved true intellectually.” Her response reflects the scientistic mindset that only scientific claims can be proven true.
Even educational institutions promote scientism. A California state document advises teachers to tell students that scientific evidence is the only reliable source of knowledge, implying that other disciplines, such as philosophy and theology, are inferior.
The Two Faces of Scientism
Philosopher Tom Sorell defines scientism as the belief that science is the most valuable part of human learning because it is the most authoritative and beneficial. He notes that scientism comes in two forms: strong and weak.
Strong scientism asserts that only scientific claims are true and rationally justified, while weak scientism allows for some minimal rational status to non-scientific disciplines. However, both forms of scientism prioritize scientific knowledge over other forms of knowing.
The Impact of Scientism on Culture
As scientism becomes more pervasive, our culture becomes increasingly secular, and the power centers of society regard religion as a private superstition. The Western world has turned away from its spiritual roots, and the influence of scientism has contributed to this shift.
It’s essential to recognize the unseen force of scientism and its impact on our culture. By understanding its implications, we can begin to critique its assumptions and reclaim the value of other disciplines, such as philosophy and theology, in our pursuit of knowledge and truth.
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