When will people realize that science is merely one institution among many when it comes to understanding the world? To my mind, it is no different from religion. In some ways, it is worse than religion. Certainly it should not be revered by philosophers, as it tends to be. The job of a philosopher is to question. Many philosophers today are little more than science groupies. They should be ashamed of themselves. If they had any self-respect, they'd go into another line of work, such as working for a public-relations agency or serving as some rich person's toady.
Let's be clear about something. Scientists are human beings. As such, they are subject to temptations, to some of which they succumb. They are no more honest than anyone else; they are as corruptible as anyone else (perhaps more so, given the amount of money at stake in research); they are as vain, petty, and thuggish as anyone else; they are as clubby and protective as anyone else; and, most importantly, they suffer from the same cognitive and moral failings as anyone else. Scientists are supposed to be open-minded and humble, ever ready to acknowledge error. Their beliefs are supposed to be tentative. Instead, in fields as diverse as climatology, biology, and physics, they are dogmatic and arrogant. Many scientists think they are society's new priests and are offended when they're not treated accordingly. They're not priests. They're closer to court jesters.
Yes, philosophers are as fallible as scientists in all of these ways, but I hold out hope that philosophers, inspired by the great Socrates, will remember their calling, which is to question everything (though not all at once!). There are no sacred cows.
Addendum: Here is philosopher Paul Feyerabend:
Science is much closer to myth than a scientific philosophy is prepared to admit. It is one of the many forms of thought that have been developed by man, and not necessarily the best. It is conspicuous, noisy, and impudent, but it is inherently superior only for those who have already decided in favour of a certain ideology, or who have accepted it without ever having examined its advantages and its limits. And as the accepting and rejecting of ideologies should be left to the individual it follows that the separation of state and church must be complemented by the separation of state and science, that most recent, most aggressive, and most dogmatic religious institution. Such a separation may be our only chance to achieve a humanity we are capable of, but have never fully realized.
Exactly.
