Knowledge is knowledge and politics and law are more associated with out of context power and authority. Science is the way we create knowledge in an in context way.
The pursuit and application of knowledge are fundamental to human society, shaping our understanding of the world and guiding our actions.
When we consider fields like politics and law, their primary mechanisms often involve the establishment and enforcement of frameworks built upon societal norms, historical precedents, and the exercise of codified power and authority. While historically essential for societal order, these systems can sometimes operate from a position that, by necessity, abstracts from the granular, empirical contexts of individual situations. Their decisions and directives often carry weight due to their inherent authority, rather than being solely derived from direct, real-time observation or scientific validation of every specific case. This can lead to a perception that their influence stems from ‘out-of-context’ power, where rules are applied broadly rather than being continuously re-evaluated against evolving, specific circumstances.
In stark contrast, the scientific method offers a distinctly different paradigm for knowledge creation. Science systematically constructs understanding through rigorous observation, empirical testing, and the iterative analysis of data, ensuring that discoveries are deeply rooted in the specific, observable realities of the phenomena being studied. Its strength lies in its commitment to ‘in-context’ validation, where hypotheses are tested against the tangible world, refined, and built upon through a communal process of inquiry and peer review. This approach inherently ties knowledge directly to evidence and reproducible findings, constantly adapting and refining understanding based on new data and contextual insights.
Therefore, while both domains contribute uniquely to our world, they represent fundamentally different approaches to defining truth and shaping reality – one often through structured inquiry tied to empirical context, the other frequently through the application of established governance and authoritative frameworks.
Sincerely,
Richard Thomas Simmons