Scientism’s lack of an
authoritative definition
Scientism is historically and culturally
a recently minted word.
It is a way of interpreting—creatively
imagining—data produced by the scientific method
to answer questions which cannot be answered by
the scientific method.
It theorizes and infers from empirical
data answers to non-empirical questions.
Those who hold to the Scientism Big Story, in whole or part, identify
themselves as scientists or scientific thinkers, whether professional
or amateur.
Lacking a professional association’s definition,
the Internet yields the following.
Scientism is a belief that
scientific knowledge is the foundation
of all wisdom
and that, consequently, scientific argument should
always
be weighted more heavily than other forms of wisdom.
Scientism is a scientific worldview that
encompasses natural
explanations for all phenomena, eschews supernatural
and
paranormal speculations, and embraces empiricism and
reason
as the twin pillars of a philosophy of life appropriate
for an
Age of Science. www.wikipedia.org ("Scientism")
Scientism emerges when scientists approach
and interpret historical questions.
It is an approach buoyed by a indefatigable optimism
that “given enough time” solutions to
Big Questions can be articulated with near-scientific, almost-empirical
terminology and imagery. Scientism advocates are at once as eager to
apply the scientific method and reasoning derived from a base of skepticism
to the Big Questions as they are to patiently hold in abeyance an incomplete
Big Answer until further research is conducted.
Scientism lives with a core tension between
human senses and human imagination. In a phrase, Scientism doesn’t
want “enthusiasm to outstrip evaluation.”
Continue—"Soft Sciences"
and knowing through "sensual
immersion"
