Over the last 15 years of being a scientist who writes about science in a variety of forums, I have watched as voices that call established science a hoax or a lie rise in prominence. In response, much of my writing has been a strident defense of science, its methods, its value, and its authority in critical issues facing humanity, like climate change and pandemics.
But vigorously defending science does not mean defending scientism. Today, I want to highlight the distinction between them and why it is important.
Ask Google to define scientism and you will get “excessive belief in the power of scientific knowledge and techniques.”
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Now I am a passionate scientist who is passionate about science, but I also think scientism is a huge mistake. The most important reason it is a mistake is because it is confused about what it’s defending. Without doubt, science is unique, powerful, and wonderful. It should be celebrated, and it needs to be protected. Scientism, on the other hand, is just metaphysics, and there are lots and lots of metaphysical beliefs.
