Talk:Consilience
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The note on Recent Changes said "see talk"; the page had a link "/talk" which led nowhere; I changed it to "/Talk" which also led nowhere. If someone had something to say, it didn't take; please try again.
Someone wrote: "Since the scientific method is the one proven method by which mankind has been able to decipher reality? on any consistent basis, only "Inductions" which arise out of applications of the scientific method can be accepted as vaild indicators of consilience."
I'm really sorry that I had to delete this, because I think if written in a less inflammatory and patently false way, it might have provided useful information; as it is I am not sure how to re-write it. The scientific method is only "the one proven method by which mankind has been able to decipher reality" from a point of view which deifies science. Let me take the statement in chunks: "[T]he scientific methos is the one proven method..." Proven how? I'd like to see you indicate to me, in a way which does not make use of the scientific method, that the scientific method holds this exalted status. All the scientific method does is provide self-consistent results.
"...method by which mankind has been able to decipher reality..." "decipher reality?" What does that mean? Again, how do we know what "reality" is, outside of what the scientific method tells us? Don't get me wrong... I approve of the so-called "scientific method," even though I think the term is assinine, because the scientific approach is not so easily describable as the people who use that term would like. Heck, I make my living doing science. But when "Science" is deified like this, it really sets my blood aboil. --Alex Kennedy
Sorry to have set your blood aboil, Alex. That certainly was not my intent. Being relatively new at this, it's not easy for me to compose directly onto the "Editing" page, particularly in light of the fact that I'm not a scientist, per se, being more of a writer with eclectic tastes. I tried a re-write. Please review it to see if it makes better sense to you, and that it doesn't "deify" science, which also was not intentional.
Using ignorance as an excuse, I don't understand this: "The note on Recent Changes said "see talk"; the page had a link "/talk" which led nowhere; I changed it to "/Talk" which also led nowhere. If someone had something to say, it didn't take; please try again." Can you explain this in terms a neophyte can understand? :)
Well, a couple of things : first, sorry to say my blood was aboil - your edit more than satisfied me. Second, I was still writing what you see above when you checked /talk... hence you saw nothing - I hadn't submitted yet :P Don't think my giant uncontrollable wrath characterises the Wikipedia, please. --Alex Kennedy
LOL! I hardly think your "wrath" as you put it was either "giant" or "uncontrollable." Glad you liked the rewrite, and also glad to make your acquaintence! F. Lee Horn
[edit] Consilience and "Universology"
To say that they are equivalents is less than useful. This entry needs to separate the two concepts, clarifying each in the process. --Wetman 07:16, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
[edit] Unattributed quotations
The eight long quotations at the end should have their source(s) indicated please. Dirac66 22:34, 24 March 2007 (UTC)
OK, with Google the ones I found are from Wilson's book. Dirac66 01:13, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
