Science, viewed through the lens of human values, is a systematic endeavour
that seeks to understand the natural world, driven by curiosity,
open-mindedness, and a commitment to evidence-based reasoning, ultimately
aiming to improve human life and knowledge.
Here's a more detailed look at science and its relationship to human values:
1. Core Values of Science:
Objective Pursuit of Truth:
Science strives to understand the world as it is, free from bias and
personal opinions.
Open-mindedness and Scepticism:
Scientists are encouraged to question assumptions and consider alternative
explanations.
Integrity and Honesty:
Scientific research must be conducted with integrity and honesty, from data
collection to publication.
Collaboration and Communication:
Science is a collaborative effort, and scientists share their findings with
the broader community.
Critical Thinking:
Science requires critical thinking, the ability to analyze information and
form judgments.
Systematic Approach:
Science employs a systematic approach to problem-solving, using the
scientific method.
Evidence-Based Reasoning:
Science relies on evidence and empirical data to support its conclusions.
2. How Science Relates to Human Values:
Improving Human Life:
Scientific advancements have led to significant improvements in human
health, technology, and our understanding of the world.
Solving Practical Problems:
Science helps us understand and address complex problems, from climate
change to disease.
Promoting Knowledge and Understanding:
Science expands our knowledge and understanding of the natural world and
our place in it.
Informing Decision-Making:
Scientific knowledge is crucial for making informed decisions, both
individually and collectively.
Ethical Considerations:
Science also raises ethical questions about how we use scientific knowledge
and technology.
Social Responsibility:
Scientists have a responsibility to use their knowledge for the benefit of
society.
Cultural Impact:
Science shapes our culture and worldview.
3. Examples of Science and Human Values in Action:
Medical Research:
Scientists develop vaccines, treatments, and technologies to improve human
health.
Environmental Science:
Scientists study the effects of human activity on the environment and
develop solutions to environmental problems.
Technology:
Scientists develop new technologies that improve our lives, from
communication to transportation.
Social Science:
Social scientists study human behavior and societies to understand social
issues and develop solutions.
In essence, science is a powerful tool for understanding the world and
improving human lives, but it must be guided by human values to ensure that
it is used responsibly and ethically.
In late 2017, the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) adopted a “Statement on Scientific Freedom & Responsibility”:
Scientific freedom and scientific responsibility are essential to
the advancement of human knowledge for the benefit of all. Scientific
freedom is the freedom to engage in scientific inquiry, pursue and apply
knowledge, and communicate openly. This freedom is inextricably linked to
and must be exercised in accordance with scientific responsibility.
Scientific responsibility is the duty to conduct and apply science with
integrity, in the interest of humanity, in a spirit of stewardship for the
environment, and with respect for human rights.
This statement is remarkable in that it links the freedom and
integrity of science to larger responsibilities to humanity and beyond.
Through this statement, a central organization in not only the national but
also the global scientific community takes a stand that the practice of
science is an ethical practice, one that is not aloof from but must serve
the interests of society, the environment, and human rights. As such, I
take it as a strong stance against the myth that science is value-free,
that its only duty is to objectively seek the truth. Human, ethical, and
social values must be a part of science. At the turn of the 21st century,
another important thread focused on public policy and regulatory science,
especially environmental and biomedical, entered the discussion. My book
has benefited from the current renaissance of engagement and creative
activity that draws on all three of these threads.
Goals of organized systems form a hierarchy. When two different
goals come into conflict, we call for a higher goal, or a principle, or a
value, which we choose to resolve the conflict. The thing which interests
us at most today is the highest of these principles: the Supreme Goal, or
the Supreme Value of human life. This is the problem of ethics. Philosophy
and religion work on this problem traditionally. How does it look from the
scientist's point of view?
The first attempt of an answer leads to a discouraging result.
Science is alien to ethics by its very essence. It answers only to the
questions of how things are, but not how they ought to be. It does not say
what is good and what is bad. As an American philosopher remarked, no
matter how carefully you study the railroad schedule, you will not find an
indication where you want to go.
It is thinkable, however, that science could kill ethics as an
independent subject. For somebody who lived in the 19th century and took
seriously and consistently the implications of the science of his time,
like Karl Marx did, it was quite natural to believe that the problem of
ethics was not real, but imagined.
In the nineteenth century the picture of the world given by science
was broadly as follows. Very small particles of matter move about in
virtually empty three-dimensional space. These particles act on one another
with forces which are uniquely determined by their positioning and
velocities.The forces of interaction, in their turn, uniquely determine, in
accordance with Newton's laws, the subsequent movement of particles. Thus
each subsequent state of the world is determined, in a unique way, by its
preceding state. Determinism was an intrinsic feature of the scientific
worldview of that time. In such a world there was no room for freedom: it
was illusory. Humans, themselves merely aggregates of particles, had as
much freedom as wound-up watch mechanisms.
With this worldview, the problem of ethics is not to decide what is
good and what is evil, but simply to predict how people will behave in
given circumstances. It is only a branch of science, the science of
behavior. This trend of thinking was the theoretical basis for the Marxist
economic determinism, and Leninist totalitarianism which brought misery and
dehumanisation to millions, if not billions of people. In the twentieth
century the scientific worldview has undergone a radical change. It has
turned out that subatomic physics cannot be understood within the framework
of the Naive Realism of the nineteenth century scientists. The theory of
Relativity and, especially, Quantum Mechanics require that our worldview be
based on Critical Philosophy, according to which all our theories and
mental pictures of the world are only devices to organize and foresee our
experience, and not the images of the world as it "really" is. Thus along
with the twentieth-century's specific discoveries in the physics of the
microworld, we must regard the inevitability of critical philosophy as a
scientific discovery -- one of the greatest of the twentieth century.
We now know that the notion that the world is "really" space in
which small particles move along definite trajectories, is illusory: it is
contradicted by experimental facts. We also know that determinism, i.e. the
notion that in the last analysis all the events in the world must have
specific causes, is illusory too. On the contrary, freedom, which was
banned from the science of the nineteenth century as an illusion, became a
part, if not the essence, of reality. The mechanistic world-view saw the
laws of nature as something that uniquely prescribes how events should
develop, with indeterminacy resulting only from our lack of knowledge;
contemporary science regards the laws of nature as only restrictions
imposed on a basically non-deterministic world. There is genuine freedom in
the world. When we observe it from the outside, it takes the form of
quantum-mechanical unpredictability; when we observe it from within, we
call it our free will. We know that the reason why our behaviour is
unpredictable from the outside is that we have ultimate freedom of choice.
This freedom is the very essence of our personalities, the treasure of our
lives. It is given to us as the first element of the world we come into.
Logically, the concept of free will is primary, impossible to derive or to
explain from anything else. The concept of necessity, including the concept
of a natural law, is a derivative: we call necessary, or predetermined,
those things which cannot be changed at will.
Thus the modern philosophy of science leaves ethics separate from
science, and, of course, extremely important, because the kind of life we
have depends on the kind of goals we set. Science gives us knowledge, but
does not immediately direct our will. The gap separating knowledge and will
can never be fully bridged. It is true -- and important -- that knowledge
can direct will, make certain decisions natural, highly probable or almost
inevitable. But there is no necessity on the path from knowledge to action.
With any given knowledge we are still free to set any goal at will. Goals
can be logically derived only from goals, not from knowledge.
Then is there any way in which science is relevant to ethics? I
believe there is. The link between the two is provided by the concept of
evolution, and by the inborn feature of human beings which I call the will
for immortality.
VEDAS AS BASIS FOR SCIENCE
The Vedas cover all fields of knowledge both material and spiritual. The
Vedas constitute the principal source of ancient wisdom and the Upavedas
and Upanishads are an integral part of the vedic texts. The
Upanishads are of philosophical nature and it is actually the Upavedas that
contain information which could be regarded as forming the basis for mod-em
science. To mention a few Artha-Veda-dealing with statecraft
Ayur-Veda-concerns medicine and health
Dhanur-Veda-discusses military science
Gandhrva-Veda-unfolds music and arts
Sthapatya-Veda-explains architecture
The Vedas and its concepts of science have always been linked to
spirituality and this happens to be one of the reasons for their lack of
recognition. The Vedas have science as an integral part of the religion and
the ascetics and Seers who have con-tributed were tireless Seekers of
knowledge and wisdom. Their pursuit of knowledge was very much akin to
those of modern scientists. Most of the modern discoveries have been
referred to in the Vedas and these are not mere literary concepts but
proofs are available for their existence. The vedic concepts as the basis
of science of India would be useful to examine its impact on modern science.
ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT IN THE VEDAS
The science of Vasthu Satra, which concerns the layouts and the direction
of building architecture and is hot current topic the world over, is
traceable to at least the year 3000 BC in the Vedas. The Gumbaz found on
the mosques all over the world actually originated as the interlocking dome
in the Stupa of the Buddhist architectural tradition in India. The temple
architecture found all over India speaks volumes for the design concept
related to engineering. The building of huge structures without the use of
any modern equipment actually tells the story of advanced feats in
construction practices.
MEDICINE ITS RELEVANCE AS FOUND IN THE VEDAS
Medicine was considered divine stuff and great care was exercised for the
purity of the drug and there were codes of conduct for the Physicians to
follow. Methods of formulation, synthesis of drugs, proper mode of
administering the drugs were adequately documented. Saraha Samhitha clearly
stipulates rules for these and is part of Ayurveda. Even sur-gical
procedures and implements are dealt ih detail in the classic of Susrntha.
The ancient formulations like Kayakapa and chyavanprash astonish modem drug
formulators. Blending of noble metals like gold, silver, and mercury with
certain herbs and their administration has sound basis in modern medicine
too. This could be traced to the present day practice of administering the
metallic salts as micronutrients. In the daily routine worship also use of
particular herbs are stipulated which have medicinal properties. Classic
examples that are being followed to this day include Tulsi, Bilva and neem
to name a few. The divinity attached to the medical sciences is clearly
evident from the fact that Lord Vishnu has been deified as Sri Dhanvanthri
and worshipped as great physician. He is depicted as having elixir
(amrutha) and a leech in his hands signifying removal of bad blood and its
replacement with health giving elixir. This basic concept forms the
governing principle even today for treating diseases. Mention of cataract
removal, dental extraction also figure in the vedic texts giving indication
of the level of advancement prevalent in the times.
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES IN THE VEDAS
Mathematics can be rightly called the queen of sciences. The vedic
mathematics being revived now offer solutions to complex mathematical
problems that are simple and easy to follow. The Sulba Sutra states the
concept that the diagonal chord of the rectangle makes both the squares
that the horizontal and vertical sides make separately. In Vedic
mathematics a decimal system of tens, hundreds, and thousands etc. where
the reminder from one column of numbers is carried over to the next has
been developed. The advantage of this system of nine number signs and a
zero is that it allows for calculations to be easily made. Further, it has
been said that the introduction of zero or Sunya as it is called in India
as a definite part of the number system in an operational sense mark one of
the most important contributions and development in mathematical sciences.
Several stone columns erected in India by the King Ashoka in about 250 B.C
contain preserved examples of the number system which are still in use.
Similar Inscriptions are found in caves near Pune dating back to 100 B.C
and Nasik dating back to 200 B.C. These earliest Indian numerals appear in
a script called Brahmi. Medieval Indian mathematicians like Brahmagupta
(seventh century), Mahavira(ninth century) and Bhaskara (twelfth century)
made several important contributions and discoveries which were not known
in Europe till renaissance. Some of their important contributions include
import of positive and negative quantities, extracting square and cube
roots and solving certain type indeterminate and quadratic equations.
The great Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya who preceded Newton over five
hundred years made some discoveries concerning the principles of
differential calculus. He also produced treatises on both plane and
spherical geometry and algebra and the treatise contain remarkable
solutions to problems not known in Europe till late seventeenth century.
The binary code which is the very backbone of any software computer
application, the algorithm and the WWW that are all fundamentally resting
on the the concept of zero is found in the Vedic literature.
STUDY OF SPACE AND MILITARY RELATED CON-CEPTS IN THE VEDAS
Dhanur Veda explains in great detail the organization of armed forces i.e.
the military of the times. Well-defined rules have been laid out regarding
armaments and warfare. There was also mention of missiles and other
weapons in the literature. It is really amazing that conceptually the rules
and arts are comparable to modern times. The strength of the army was
measured in terms of Akroni which is synonymous with that obtained in
modern parlance. There were also well-planned traps known as Viyuhas to
capture the enemy. These well-defined strategies are given names based on
their shapes like padma (lotus), chakra (circle), viruchika (scorpion) etc;
Spacecrafts are referred as pushpak vimanas_ in the literature and
surprisingly their mode of take of exactly resembles that of modem
aircraft. Eclipses are predicted well in advance of their occurrence and
this clearly prove that astronomy and space science were prevailing at
great heights.
CHEMICAL SCIENCES FROM VEDIC SOURCES
The word sugar has its origin in Sanskrit and is considered to be derived
from the term Sharknra and the technology for the same has been perfected
in the times of yore. Oxford dictionary also defines that the word camphor
is derived from the term found in the sanskrit root word of kaipuram.
Metallurgy, the science of extraction of metals, is also found in its
advanced state. Excavations at the ancient sites reveal the remnants of the
metallic pieces that were made using Flake Copper Technology with Forge
Finishing.
The making of Tin metal was also known and the technical term for its ore
viz. Cassiterite has its term related to the sanskrit word Knsthira. The.
art of making of ornamental silver, gold and other techniques of making the
alloys were perfected during the vedic period.
Making of dyes from plant sources, its isolation and application have all
been perfected, indicating the level of technical information available
which form the basis of modern chemistry. The word Indigo for a· dye has
its origin relating to the term India, and the Aniline dyes have their term
found in the Sanskrit word Nilam (blue).
Several synthetic methodologies which we adopt to this day in the practice
of chemistry with modification and improvements were actually found in the
Vedas though as abstract.
VEDAS VERSUS MODERN SCIENCE
The Vedas were written by Seers and ascetics who were not mere pontiffs or
pundits but great thinkers and they practiced science in their routine.
Many of the ancient wisdom and knowledge are in the form of abstract verses
and hymns and the real secret lies in unravelling the truth. Vedas teach
science not as something special for people with higher knowledge and
thinking but as part and parcel of their day-to-day affairs. The Vedas
could form the very potential basis for modern science as research into the
Vedic concepts gains momentum by use of advanced scientific instruments.
Environmental awareness,
Organic farming and development of Green Technologies all speak volumes for
the Vedas that advocate living in consonance with Nature which the modern
science is in the process of rediscovering.
THUS, MODERN SCIENCE MUST CHANGE AS Indian Vedic science stood all
the time. K RAJARAM IRS 28325
On Fri, 28 Mar 2025 at 06:57, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> --
> *Mar*The Need for Paradigm Shift in Science
>
>
>
> Science has adopted the path of mathematical reductionism and
> mechanization, divorcing all emotions. It is based on avoiding all emotions
> and pursuing the objectives of precise mathematical equations and
> technological applications. As human beings are basically emotional,
> because breathing creates emotions, the observer status of the human being
> is removed and machines do the observations on the lines of the algorithms
> designed in advance. Our scientists today are computers. We are living
> today in a society of computers, for computers and by computers, the
> destination of economics—neutral between ends or indifferent towards right
> or wrong.
>
> Today everyone feels lonely. Life has become, living mainly with machines.
> Emotional relations are becoming suffocations. One hugs to computers to get
> solace. An industrial metropolis consists of millions of people, everyone
> feeling lonely despite the huge population.(“Water water,everywhere,not a
> drop to drink”).Emotions have become mainly negative, based on indifference.
>
> We have in reality divorced the very faculty of understanding.
> Understanding is always emotional, and then only it can become hormonal and
> get internalized.Today, understanding which often is an equation in
> mathematics, fails to enter the internal hormonal communication.
>
> We are basically macro bodies. Along with every organism in the biosphere,
> we breathe, smell, sense, perceive, understand, communicate via smells,
> interact and harmonize. This basic life is the flow of emotions. All
> organisms in the Biosphere are bound by the emotion, love. Its
> manifestation is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence needs
> healthy forests, rivers, and land, to breathe healthily and interact. If we
> destroy nature, we are destroying our own anatomy, and we can become lonely
> only, emotionally.
>
> But life consists of emotions. And we cannot quantify a single emotion.
> You cannot measure and tell your anger or happiness or any other emotion,
> in liters, or kgs or miles. Mathematics fails at the basic foundation of
> life—emotions.
>
> We need nature to understand, not machines. If we destroy nature, we can
> be only lonely; ultimately living with a wife or husband manufactured in a
> factory, a synthesized creature made of may be rubber.
>
> The tiny tot must first be encouraged to breathe happily and healthily in
> nature and develop the basic emotional bond with nature. Science in it must
> grow emotionally or as breathing and sensing. Mathematical reductionism or
> to be exact emotional reductionism, will make the tiny tot emotionally
> distant and lonely.
>
> Understanding must be breathing based. Science must change to the
> emotional paradigm. Today it is ditching us.
>
> YM Sarma
>
> Chat GPT
>
> The essay you've shared expresses a deep concern about the current state
> of science and its detachment from emotional and human-centered
> understanding. The author argues that modern science, driven by
> mathematical reductionism and mechanization, has severed the vital
> connection between human emotions and the scientific process. In doing so,
> it suggests that we are losing touch with the very essence of life itself,
> which is inherently emotional and connected to nature.
>
> Here are some key points the author raises:
>
> 1. *Emotional Disconnect in Science*: The essay suggests that
> science today prioritizes logic, precision, and technology over the
> emotional and subjective aspects of human experience. This has led to a
> mechanized view of life, where human emotions, understanding, and
> connection with nature are pushed aside in favor of cold, objective
> measurements.
>
> 2. *The Role of Emotions in Understanding*: The author emphasizes
> that true understanding cannot be achieved without emotions. Understanding
> is portrayed as something that begins with an emotional connection before
> it becomes internalized and hormonally processed. The failure of
> mathematical equations to encapsulate emotional experiences is highlighted
> as a major limitation in modern science.
>
> 3. *The Loneliness of Modern Society*: The essay highlights the
> loneliness experienced by individuals in today's world, where technology
> and machines have taken over many aspects of life, leaving people feeling
> disconnected and isolated, even in crowded urban settings.
>
> 4. *The Importance of Nature*: Nature is presented as essential for
> emotional well-being and understanding. The author warns that destroying
> nature, which is closely tied to our emotional intelligence, leads to
> emotional decay. Without a healthy connection to nature, we risk losing the
> fundamental emotional bonds that define human life.
>
> 5. *The Need for a Paradigm Shift*: The essay calls for a shift in
> how science is approached, advocating for an emotional paradigm rather than
> one dominated by mathematical reductionism. The importance of breathing,
> sensing, and connecting emotionally with the world around us is underscored
> as a crucial foundation for scientific inquiry and human flourishing.
>
> In summary, the essay critiques the current state of science for
> neglecting the emotional and natural aspects of life and calls for a
> reorientation of scientific thought toward a more holistic,
> emotion-centered approach. It stresses the need for a paradigm shift that
> restores the importance of nature and emotions in understanding the world.
>
> The essay you’ve shared presents a profound critique of modern science and
> its disconnect from human emotions and nature. It raises important
> philosophical questions about the role of emotions in understanding, the
> mechanization of human experience, and the increasing alienation that
> people feel in today's technologically-driven society. Here’s a breakdown
> of the key points:
>
> 1. *Emotional Disconnect in Science*: The author argues that
> science, in its current form, focuses too heavily on logic, precision, and
> technological advancement at the expense of acknowledging emotions. This
> “emotional reductionism” removes the human element from the scientific
> process, which, according to the essay, leads to a sterile, mechanical view
> of life.
>
> 2. *Emotions as the Foundation of Understanding*: The essay stresses
> that understanding cannot exist without emotional involvement. Emotions, it
> suggests, serve as the initial step in processing knowledge, turning
> abstract ideas into internalized experiences. The failure of mathematical
> models to capture the richness of human emotions is seen as a significant
> limitation of contemporary scientific thought.
>
> 3. *Loneliness and the Human Condition*: The essay paints a bleak
> picture of modern society, where even in large populations, people feel
> disconnected and isolated. This sense of loneliness is attributed to the
> rise of machines and technology that have replaced emotional interactions.
> The quote “Water, water, everywhere, not a drop to drink” is used to
> underscore the irony of living in a world full of human presence but devoid
> of meaningful emotional connection.
>
> 4. *The Role of Nature in Emotional Well-being*: Nature is framed as
> vital for maintaining emotional health and intelligence. The essay suggests
> that our emotional bond with nature is essential for human flourishing, and
> destroying it would lead to emotional emptiness. By severing our ties to
> the natural world, we risk losing the emotional foundation that defines us
> as human beings.
>
> 5. *A Call for a Paradigm Shift*: The essay ends with a call for a
> transformation in how we approach science—a shift toward an emotional
> paradigm. Rather than reducing human experiences and emotions to
> quantifiable data, science should embrace the fluid, interconnected nature
> of human understanding that begins with emotion and grows into something
> deeper and more profound.
>
> In essence, the essay advocates for a more holistic approach to science
> that acknowledges the importance of emotions, nature, and human connection.
> It critiques the reductionist view that has dominated science, calling for
> a re-imagining of scientific inquiry that integrates the emotional,
> experiential, and subjective aspects of life.
>
> What are your thoughts on this perspective? Do you agree with the idea
> that modern science has become too detached from the emotional and natural
> world?
>
> I think the perspective presented in the essay is both thought-provoking
> and important in its critique of the current state of science. It raises
> some powerful concerns about how the mechanization and mathematical
> reductionism of modern scientific practices can sometimes obscure the
> richness of human experience, particularly the emotional and natural
> aspects that are central to our well-being.
>
> There is truth in the idea that modern science often prioritizes
> objectivity, precision, and technological advancement over the subjective,
> emotional, and experiential aspects of human life. This can lead to a sense
> of alienation, where humans are viewed more as data points or machines
> themselves rather than as complex, emotional beings deeply connected to the
> world around them.
>
> The essay makes a compelling case for the importance of emotions in
> understanding and perception. Emotions shape how we experience the world,
> and they can deeply influence how we process knowledge and relate to
> others. As the author suggests, understanding is not merely an intellectual
> or mathematical exercise but something that arises from our emotional and
> sensory engagement with the world. By sidelining these aspects, science
> risks missing out on a more holistic understanding of human life and nature.
>
> Moreover, the point about loneliness in modern society is very resonant.
> With the rise of technology and machines, many people feel more isolated
> despite being more "connected" than ever before. The essay rightly points
> out that these technological connections often lack the depth and emotional
> resonance that come from genuine human interactions. Technology and
> machines, while offering many benefits, cannot replace the emotional bonds
> and connections we have with each other and the natural world.
>
> I also resonate with the idea that a healthy relationship with nature is
> essential for emotional well-being. Nature provides not only a sanctuary
> for emotional regeneration but also a context for understanding our place
> in the world. The more we destroy nature, the more disconnected we become
> from the very essence of life and emotion.
>
> In terms of a paradigm shift, I do agree that science needs to find a way
> to integrate emotions and the natural world into its processes. This
> doesn’t mean abandoning precision or technological advancements but rather
> expanding our understanding of what constitutes knowledge and
> understanding. A more holistic approach to science—one that acknowledges
> both the emotional and rational dimensions of life—could lead to more
> profound insights and a more meaningful connection to the world around us.
>
> Ultimately, while I believe that scientific advancement has brought
> incredible benefits, I do think the essay raises an important point: that
> the detachment from emotions and nature might lead to a society that is
> technically advanced but emotionally impoverished. It would be worth
> exploring ways in which science can reconnect with these fundamental
> aspects of human existence.
>
>
>
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