science: [[Old French < scientia < sciens, prp.
Of scire, to know, orig., to discern, distinguish < Indo-European
base *skie-, to cut, separate > SHEATH,
SHIN1, SHIP, SKI, Latin scindere, to cut]] 1
Orig, the state or fact of knowledge; knowledge 2 systematized knowledge
derived from observation, study, and experimentation carried on in order to
determine the nature or principles of what is being studied 3 a branch
of knowledge or study, esp. one concerned with establishing and systematizing
facts, principles, and methods, as by experiments and hypotheses [the science
of mathematics] 4 a) the systematized knowledge of nature
and the physical world b) any branch of this: see NATURAL SCIENCE 5 skill based upon
systematized training [the science of cooking]
psuedoscience: n. any system of methods, theories, etc. that presumes without warrant to have a scientific basis or application
When I say science
is the pursuit of Truth, I am implying it is the pursuit of truth using
definition 2. That is to say, science is pursuit derived from
observation, study and experimentation carried on in order to determine the
nature or principles (i.e. the Truth of what is being studied). Technically, I am saying, “Science is the
use of observation, study, and experimentation carries on in order to discover
the Truth, as it pertains to the object of observation, study and
experimentation.”
When I say psuedoscience
is the pursuit of an agenda, I mean that someone is pretending to be using
the scientific method in order to prove the correctness of his or her agenda. Technically, I am saying, “Psuedoscience is
the use of observation, study and experimentation carried on in order to
further an agenda.”
If you would like
a more detailed explanation as to the nature of science and pseudoscience,
click here
A questioner who asked, “Isn’t ritual a
psuedoscience, because it is the pursuit of an agenda?” forced me into creating
this page. I do not know if she was
being difficult for the sake of being difficult, or if this was a reflection on
her high-school education. I assumed
that the reader would take this admittedly bold statement (made more for
dramatic effect that strict literal definition) and understand my meaning. Evidently, I was wrong. Ritual is neither science nor psuedoscience,
because it is not the pursuit of knowledge.
Just as using the technology of a VCR is not science, even if one is
watching a documentary.
Now, continue reading