As we have covered this ground before, I have only a brief response to Prof. Blanchard's musings on
science and magic. Prof. Blanchard defines science thusly: "Science is the pursuit of the underlying truths about the world, all of them, out of a simple desire to know." True enough. In this sense theology and philosophy are sciences or are parts of science. But for at least 250 years this is not what most people mean by science, as most people are not Aristotelian in their outlook. When most people say "science" what they mean is the attempt by man to use his mind to master the natural world, including himself, and manipulate it to his own ends. It is not just about "understanding," it is about use.
The divide between philosophy and the natural sciences is deep. In general, the modern scientist, qua scientist, does not believe that we can say anything authoritative about that which is not measurable and quantifiable. Thus the complaint, for example, that political science is not a "real science," try as it might to ape the natural sciences. There is the derision of the humanities as "soft."
Prof. Blanchard and others are admirably attempting to bridge this gap. But it does not change the fact that when a modern scientist says America has a "scientific soul," he does not mean we are a nation of Aristotles. In short, he does not mean by "science" what Prof. Blanchard means.
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