Benefits and disadvantages of subcategorizing natural science
  • Braindead
    37
    There was a story I heard a while ago about blind men and an elephant. In the story, the blind men are trying to figure out what the elephant is, so they each take different parts of the animal and make their guesses. One takes the trunk and says it’s a snake, while another takes the leg and says it’s a tree, etc.

    I’d like to apply this story to natural science in general and how we categorize it into physics, chemistry, biology, and even further into particle physics, material and bio chemistry, etc. We separate our understanding of the world into so many categories, but in the process do we ever lose sight of the fact that in the end we are all observing and researching the same thing?

    What kinds of impacts does sub categorizing our understanding of the world have in my our total progress?
    Braindead Options
  • Pantagruel
    3.3k
    What kinds of impacts does sub categorizing our understanding of the world have in my our total progress? — Braindead

    I think it is just part of the natural evolution of knowledge. Like any system, it evolves into a greater and greater differentiation of sub-systems, but these sub-systems ultimately are united at a higher level.

    This 'top-level synthesis' used to be embodied in the person of the so-called 'Renaissance man." Now, I think the idealistic concept of a "theory of everything" is the most common form.
    Pantagruel Options
  • Braindead
    37
    It is true that the educated man back in those times often dabbled in many subjects. Now we focus on single subjects individually and come together in conventions to create cutting-edge technologies such as smartphones and the like. Reminds me of the biophysics advocates I heard about not long ago.
    Braindead Options
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