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Pure science is purely descriptive, it is not prescriptive. People often use science as justification for prescriptive action. But prescriptive action also alwa
by metamemetics 17y ago
Pure science is purely descriptive, it is not prescriptive.
People often use science as justification for prescriptive action. But prescriptive action also always requires a categorization of outcomes as [good, bad]. Good vs. bad is an aesthetic decision that is not intrinsic to pure science.
- pavlov 17y agoAesthetic? I think I see what you mean -- if Heisenberg had developed a nuclear bomb during the war, it would have had a significant impact on European landscape aesthetics.
- metamemetics 17y agocorrect. For most, such nuclear devestation would be extremely displeasing to envision. However this does not make it scientifically bad, and if you were a nazi you would probably use darwinism to justify it.