This paragraph recently caught my eye in an article by Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College:

“The word science comes from a Latin word meaning “to know.” The new word “technology” comes from the Greek word, “to make.” The transition from traditional to modern science means that we are not so much seeking to know when we study nature as seeking to make things—and ultimately, to remake nature itself. The spirit of remaking nature—including human nature—greatly emboldens both human beings and governments.”

(Imprimis, A Publication of Hillsdale College)

The basic premise of this blog is that science stands on the shoulders of philosophy – and that the only philosophy that will not buckle under its weight is the Christian one. The fact that science is a matter of philosophy is apparent in the very meaning of the word “science” – “to know.” Science is about seeking knowledge – which is one of the three prongs of philosophy: knowledge (epistemology), reality (metaphysics), and ethics.

Despite the basic meaning of the word, scientists have a hard time uniting around a definition of science. This is because, in order to agree on the nature of science, they would have to agree on the philosophy undergirding science. They would have to agree on what it means “to know.”

In the quote above, Larry Arnn points out one of the ways our culture’s philosophy of science has shifted in the past centuries. We have gone from the pursuit of truth to the pursuit of “progress.” From seeking to understand creation’s God-given purposes (teleology) to trying to reshape nature to accomplish our own ends (autonomous utilitarianism).