Philosophy Now Forum

Hi,

I'm soon to be doctor in volcanology. I have been living 4 years in NZ.. and now going back to Europe to find another job.
I'm interested in the philosophy in science particularly, and try to understand where science goes, and try to increase the part of science in people day to day life.. i.e. fighting against obscurantism !

Cheers,

nico

Hello and welcome!

I am from across the Tasman in Australia very near to Mt Warning, which you may know of in your studies. What is obscurantism for you? Much of philosophy is obscure, or verging on obscurity. This is not something to fight. It is just something that needs to be accepted graciously by anyone who wishes to think beyond the ordinary. Explorers of thought go into unknown territories as a matter of routine and try to wrestle from obscurity insights into the nature of life, death and the universe. Scientific knowledge tends much more to ready made definitions, so any philosophy of science will have to do with sticking faithfully to already established facts while at the same time challenging those same facts, rather than challenging thought pure and simple as is the case with philosophy. Many come unstuck with philosophy who have a strong scientific leaning because they get frustrated with the lack of well defined formulae to work with. Of course, another thing is true for other types who have little formal mental training but a great ability to grasp things from left field, and who come into philosophy expecting truth to explode in their faces, or to be able to do so in the face of others. Both approaches are erroneous because philosophy is a balanced mingling of rationality and intuition.

Hey and welcome! Hope to see some threads from you