Written Dialogue: Science and Scientific Revolutions - Term Paper Example

Science and Scientific Revolutions of the In his laboratory Sir Isaac Newton is unaware that fumes from Nitrogen Oxide commonly known as “laughing gas” have escaped a chamber and he inhales fumes of the gas. Surprisingly instead of the fumes driving him into fits of laughter they cause him to hallucinate and in his hallucinations he engages in philosophical conversations with three philosophers: Socrates, Charles Darwin and George Orwell. With Socrates leading the conversations he attempts to establish the root of the philosophical approaches of the rest and the truth in their philosophies with regard to science and scientific revolutions. Socrates dwells on mental approaches employed by the philosophers in order to establish whether they rationalize the conclusions made by the philosophers. SCENE 1 Scene one begins with Socrates in the Garden alone as he contemplates what will be of science and philosophy in future and he decides to pay a visit to Isaac Newton. Socrates: when approached from an arrogant perspective the world can only breed ignorance. Understanding of the secrets of this world is borne from questioning the ignorance of those who dare not question populist beliefs. I have dedicated my life to question the very world that the ignorant purport to understand and have realized that we are destined for hades if we do not change our ways. We indulge ourselves in parties and desires of the flesh not knowing that we are self-destructing1. I only wonder if Zeus will allow time to be a teacher of man or if man will eventually self-destruct into the nothingness, oblivion and darkness of Hades. If only Zeus could allow me to travel into the future for a glance, I would die in peace. (Immediately his wishes are granted and he is taken to centuries ahead into the laboratory of Isaac Newton). Newton: Alas! Are you real or a ghost? (On seeing Socrates) Socrates: I might be real or not it depends on how you build your argument and whether you can convince yourself am myself that you are real. Newton: What are you talking about? Socrates: I am asking you to find out whether I am real or not. Is that not the way empiricist differentiate between facts and fallacies, truths and imaginations and that way create a better understanding of the world? Newton: Your speech is familiar and I am having a sense of De Ja vu like I have lived this moment before. Socrates: That one will depend Newton: Depend on what exactly? Socrates: On whether you believe I am real or not? Newton: Suppose I believe you are real, then what next? Socrates: You have to convince you and me of the fact that I am real. Is that not what science is all about we begin with a premise and then engage in argument and activities geared towards either validating or disapproving our suppositions? Newton: I totally I agree and that is why I have dedicated my life towards finding out whether my suppositions are true by performing experiments? Socrates: What are experiments? Newton: May I ask which age you come from? Anyway the question was rhetoric. Experiments are scientific procedures that we scientist use to validate or refute hypotheses. Socrates: Ok. I will want to find out about the procedures later but first let us find out from you on whether I am real or not. Newton: I think you are real because I can see you and I am talking to you. Socrates: So you mean to say that you use your senses to validate the claim that I am real? Newton: Yes. Socrates: let me give an example: “if you put a stick I water it appears bent but when you take it out it appears straight”2. Does that mean that the stick is both straight and bent? Newton: Hardly? A stick cannot be both bent and straight. We both know that light bends when it moves from air to fluid3. That is the reason why the stick appears bent in water while in real sense the stick is straight. Socrates: Suppose you did not know that light bends when it moves from air to fluid you would have believed that the stick is actually bent when you place it inside the water? Newton: Yes I suppose so. Why? Socrates: By believing that the stick was bent when inside water through your lack of knowledge you would have been wrong because you actually depended on your senses to find out the truth about whether the stick was bent or not. Am I right? Newton: Yes you are. Socrates: So what we establish here is that our senses are not a good source of knowing the truth about the world around us. Do you agree? Newton: Yes I agree. I always question my senses and try to find out the real truth by conducting experiments. For instance, I cannot just believe that the world is flat just because the surface I walk on is flat or because I feel that it is flat. I have to question that first and then construct a hypothesis either to validate or refute my senses. Socrates: So you mean to say that you have to question first whether I am real or not for you to progress into finding the truth? Newton: Yes Socrates: So you agree that you were wrong by assuming that I was real before actually validating whether I was real or just an illusion that you have created in your mind? Newton: Yes I agree. And I have also been working on fluid on the motion of objects and I have accidentally inhaled a dangerous gas so I guess I have not been thinking clearly. Socrates: Very well. I want to request you to allow me to invite another friend of ours for “birds of the same feathers flock together” and maybe he can help (Plato, The Republic 1945). (Socrates disappears for a moment) SCENE 2 Socrates re-appears but he is not alone. He is together with Sir Charles Darwin the author of the origin of man Socrates: He is the friend I told you I was going to invite. Since you have been unable to prove whether I am real or not, I want you to prove whether the postulations of Charles Darwin concerning the origin of man are true. Newton: Regarding our previous conversation I will begin by questioning his postulation and then have him defend his theory so that we can see whether his arguments validate his conclusions. Newton (to Darwin): What is the basis of your arguments that the creation theory is wrong and that all organisms evolved from the same simple organism? Darwin: I began my theory by questioning whether the theory of creation was actually true or whether man was just living under the belief of ancient ignorant men who out of lack of ways to explain man’s origin decided to create a belief that some supreme being created man4. I have been an ardent reader of the philosophies of Socrates and I believe in questioning before believing. Socrates: Although I have never questioned the existence of gods, I can see where you are coming from and must say I am honored of the way you think of me highly. Darwin: Thank you Socrates. Organisms adapt to their surroundings and the ones that adapt better survive while the ones that are unable to adapt become extinct5. Let me give you an example. If at one time giraffes were short and the trees were also short and then after sometimes the trees grew taller so that they would be able to access the sun better, what would happen to the giraffes? Newton: Of course they would soon die due to lack of enough food because giraffes are generally browsers. Darwin: But if some giraffes were able to grow taller these giraffes would die, am I right? Newton: Yes you are right. But I do not understand how that connects with the fact that all organisms evolved from a single organism6. I am used to experiments that scientifically proven using scientific processes. Darwin: Please understand me. When one cannot prove a theory scientifically one can look for an alternative theory that can best explain a phenomenon. Is that right? Newton: Yes that is right. So you mean to say that you developed the theory of evolution as an alternative because the theory of creation did not conclusively explain the origin of man. Darwin: Yes I must say so. I would also like to add that evolution is a process that takes millions of years because it is very slow. Therefore it would be impractical for me to prove scientifically that millions of years to come both the world and its occupants will look much different. Newton (to Socrates): I do not really understand how my conversation with Darwin is of any help in finding out whether you are real or not. Or should I say if the two of you are real or not. Socrates: My point of bringing Darwin is to explain to you that it is always advisable to pursue an alternative theory when a current theory is not taking you anywhere. But I can see that you are as stubborn as Euthyphro (Plato, The Republic 1945). Newton: Who the heck is or was Euthyphro? Socrates: A young man I once met. Back to our argument, my point is that science is also about logic and when you realize that a theory does not explain a phenomenon you are free to try out a different theory just as Darwin attempted. I wish to invite another friend. (Both Socrates and Darwin Disappear for some time) SCENE 3 Socrates enters with George Orwell the author of the animal farm Socrates: I have come with one last friend who has a different but a philosophy related to the progress of science. Newton: I know about Orwell but I am not sure whether he is a scientist or a politician. Orwell: Why do you say that, is it because majority of scientists believe that I am politician or is it because you personally believe so? Newton: I have read many commentaries about you and they are always written by politicians and sociologist. Orwell: There! That is the same group influence on individuals that I have been trying to address in my books but nobody seems to listen. Just because a majority of people think along a particular line or think of something as true does that mean that it is actually true7? Newton: Hardly! I actually hate going by populist beliefs because they are not usually based on facts. For instance, many people used to believe that that the Earth was at the center of the universe and even the Catholic Church supported the same belief. But that did not stop Copernicus to refute the claim and prove that the sun was actually at the center of the universe. Orwell: I understand your example and that was my main aim when writing the book the “Animal Farm.” I intended to show how living within a particular environment can affect our perception of social, political and even scientific issues affecting our world. Socrates here decided to nurture an environment where people questioned beliefs and as a result he made very enemies because he went against the popular group beliefs. Socrates: That is very true and thanks for the observation. Please proceed I want the point to be clear to Newton. Orwell: The modernism era was not just for scientists and literal artists like me were the one who actually sensitized the masses on the need to have a culture of differentiating between facts and fallacies. In the book “Animal Farm” I use literature to explain how people in power can use their influence to drive to believe in lies. Is that not true Socrates? Socrates: That is very true even I was hated by the people in power because I even reached a point of questioning their authority. They were not able to use their power ethically to promote order in the society. They gave the impression that they were the custodians of knowledge while in fact they disseminated lies to the masses. Newton: I do not understand how this conversation is related to science or whether the Socrates I see here is real. Socrates: I am trying to bring out the very essence of science. I believe that science should be able to bring a better understanding of our world. Let me ask you a question Newton. You have more scientists in this century than any other century why then is it that the world has not became a better place but it is still plagued with lack of ethical values? Newton: I do not understand your question but I believe that politicians are responsible for such issues that involve governance while scientists in finding out facts about our world. Socrates: I tend to disagree. The real reason is because scientists have refused to use their knowledge to have an influence on the social and political issues in the society. Instead of working together with sociologists, scientists have decided to sit on the fence with regard to these issues. Newton: That makes sense but how can I take part in political issues when I am already busy in my lab. (The effects of the gas are beginning to wane and Socrates and Orwell begin to fade in front of Newton. Newton hears Socrates say read and study my works diligently and you will understand). The scene end with newton understanding that Socrates covered all aspects of life in his quests for knowledge and that the truth can only be found by questioning arguments and by looking for alternative theories when the current theory does not work. Newton understands that science is dynamic and the quest for truth is responsible for the revolutions evident in science. Bibliography Darwin Charles, The descent of man (London: Forgotten Books, 2007). Orwell George, Animal Farm (London: Literary Society, 2004). Pemberton Henry, A view of Sir Isaac Newtons philosophy (London: Oxford University Publishers, 1728). Plato, Phaedo (New York: Forgotten Books, 1928). Plato, The Republic (London: Kaye Dreams Novel Art, 1945). Read More