Does Science Aim at the Truth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Does Science Aim at the Truth - Essay Example Other philosophers have also extended Plato’s ideas on knowledge, especially by focusing on how beliefs can be separated from truths. In Discourse, Descartes (1985, p. 131) says that something can only be known if you believe it, if it is truth, and if you have evidence supporting the belief. This is similar to Plato’s approach. The only difference is that Descartes takes a slightly more practical approach and consider how people can justify their belief in something. The answer is that people justify their belief via evidence. If they have evidence that supports their belief, they have a reason to say that their belief is true. This suggests that the scientific approach is based on finding the truth, since it also uses evidence to support beliefs. Another philosopher that provides information on the topic is Lonergan. The focus of Lonergan’s philosophy is how ideas are created and used to create knowledge. In Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (1957, p. 32) Lonergan argues that individuals gain knowledge by questioning the data that is attained from experience. According to Lonergan, facts and knowledge are based in reality. However, people do not automatically have an understanding of facts and knowledge. Instead, people have to gain an understanding by questioning and considering their experience. In some cases, people will make assumptions about the world based on experience. They will then test these assumptions to see if they are correct. In proposing this view, Lonergan is not talking about a scientific approach, but is simply talking about how people learn about the world and acquire knowledge. The interesting thing is that his approach mirrors the scientific method. The scientific metho