The distinction between science & rationalization is the same as the difference between news and propaganda. The distinction I’m drawing is between starting with an answer and starting with a question.
Getting a word in edgewise
The distinction between science & rationalization is the same as the difference between news and propaganda. The distinction I’m drawing is between starting with an answer and starting with a question.
Whatever your conclusions on that transit article, his “solutions looking for a problem” assessment of government rang true. I guess our leaders do a lot more rationalizing than science.
(to scu) pretty good distinction, but i’d refrain from the answer/question analogy. solution/problem is indeed a better way to put it (i’m replying to you, ludomancer, just to give you props 😉
i say this because some portion of science is running an experiment, and then perhaps not finding the answer you expect – and then finding out why.. you can start out with an answer “things happen this way”, and then ask the question “why?” and then have to find another answer.
point being just that by using the words question and answer, you can confuse someone who doesn’t already know what you’re trying to say 🙂
Well, my inspiration was, as noted above, not the transit bit, but you’re talking about the philosophy of science.
And I’d still say the action of asking a question (how and why in particular) is the fundamental root of science. Theories, the end product of the scientific method, after all, are answers-pending-futher-evidence. Hypotheses are guesses, which are even more distinct from answers. =)
I’m also not seeing you use the word “problem” or “solution” in your discussion of the scientific process 😉
Problem and solution are different from question and answer, no doubt. But I don’t understand why you think the former applies to science better than the latter.
i didn’t mean that. i meant that to explain the distinction you were drawing between science and rationalization, those terms were more exact in the distinction …
it’s not a matter of applying to science, it’s that if you put it that way, SOMEONE will come along and say “but science is about experimenting!! those are answers, and then you find the question” — completely missing your point because of semantics.. 🙂
let’s not get into the fact that you could be talking about a sodium chloride solution.
*pelted with veggies*
Ah, see, I was thinking of something entirely different. My comment was based on this faq about Intelligent Design Theory posted in‘s journal, after pointed it out to her.
The transit article is policy, and thus, you are correct, more solutions looking for problems. Definitely a related dynamic, but not what I was thinking of.