Narrowing down: “Philosophers were great thinkers, but not true scientists”
By Leda Arabelle R. Guerra
“There is no such thing as philosophy-free science; there is only science whose philosophical baggage is
taken on board without examination.” – Daniel Dennett, Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
Whenever we think of the distinction and the characteristics of science and philosophy, we are
actually faced with the following questions: “Is it possible for philosophy to develop without the help of
science?” or “Is science capable of working without philosophy?” Some argue that science can exist
without philosophy and that scientists should avoid philosophizing, which is often interpreted as
hypothetical and ambiguous theorizing. If the term philosophy is given such a poor interpretation,
everyone would agree with the warning that Physics (a field of science) should be cautious of Metaphysics
(a field of philosophy). In the broadest sense of the term, however, no such caution applies. Specific
sciences “cannot” and “should not” be permitted to separate themselves from true philosophy. But the
question is, how does philosophy works as compared to the physical science? And why is it that we have
to know its relevance towards any other field in science?
Before we go down to the truth of the matter, it is good to define all the concepts and ideas from
where all the above-mentioned statements come from. Philosophy and science are both ways of learning
about ourselves and about the rest of the world, and have always been able to benefit from one another.
First off, Philosophy is the rational, abstract, and logical examination of reality as a whole or of
fundamental dimensions of human existence and experience. This is derived from the Greek word
