From Pat French, Longdon-upon-Tern, Shropshire, UK
Reading the leader article regarding the need for a balance between philosophy and science in expanding our understanding, I was reminded of Richard Feynman’s talk on the importance of imagination in scientific exploration (16 May, p 3).
Whether or not he would have used the term philosophy, what Feynman said about the need for both imagination and grounding in scientific exploration would seem to parallel your leader on philosophy and the exclusion of dogma.
My own view is that the significance of philosophy and science wax and wane reciprocally as exploration moves from philosophical quest through experimentation and on to theory, but neither is ever totally eclipsed.
Science keeps an initial philosophy grounded and relevant, while philosophy augments perception of a scientific outcome, opening new possibilities and maintaining the trajectory of an ever-growing understanding.
Advertisement
