The purpose of science is to generate objective, valid and reliable knowledge, both to increase the knowledge of the human species and to apply it for the well-being and development of the species.
Traditionally, it is accepted that the main purpose of science has been the construction of knowledge and understanding, regardless of its possible applications. To reach such objective knowledge, the scientific method is used, which is made up of a series of steps.
When we take the word science, which comes from the Latin "scientia" and which means "knowledge", by analogy it can be said that asking what is the purpose of science is the same as asking: what is the purpose of knowledge?
Starting from this analogy, the question is less abstract and therefore a little easier to answer.
Interpretations of the purpose of science
If it is considered that there are countless criteria or ideas about the concept or definition of what science is, it also happens with the answer to the question of what is the purpose or objective of science.
Many interpretations have been given in this regard, which despite being different from each other, none of them cease to be valid as well.
Karl Pearson
The prominent British scientist, mathematician and thinker Karl Pearson (1857-1936), recognized for having introduced mathematical statistics as a scientific discipline, in his book Grammar of Science ("Grammar of Science", 1892) affirms that "the objective of the science is not less than the complete interpretation of the Universe ”.
It also establishes in this work that, "the objective of science is not to explain the facts, but only to classify and describe them."
LWH Hull
For the academic LWH Hull, English historian and recognized expert in philosophy of science, in his essay entitled History and Philosophy of Science ("History and Philosophy of Science, an Introduction", 1959), the purpose of science is to show us the connection between phenomena that astonish or even terrify human beings, with others that, because they are used to them, do not cause surprise or fear.
In his essay he explains that the purpose of science is to see regular patterns and similarities where at first it seemed that only incomprehensible things or phenomena existed.
He also asserts that the purpose of science may be to teach us that apparently different events are actually of the same type, although it is never his claim to give us a final or definitive explanation of anything.
Science may have as its goal to make our interpretations of the world more comprehensible and precise, or to help us control events by teaching us the dependence and interrelation of some with respect to others.
Mario bunge
Other authors, such as the Argentine physicist, philosopher, epistemologist and humanist Mario Bunge (1919-), in his book "Science, its method and its philosophy" (1960), gives an explanation of the objective or purpose of science in depending on the classification you make of it.
According to him, there are two main categories of "science": pure factual science and applied science.
Pure science is one whose main purpose is to perfect the knowledge that humanity has about the facts.
Describe and analyze the processes and phenomena of the world with the aim of increasing knowledge. An example of it is biology.
On the other hand, applied or formal science has a purely practical purpose, such as economics.
Its purpose is to develop knowledge bases and procedures to make it possible to obtain the most desirable objects and services in life.
References
- Undsci.berkeley.edu. (without date). Translation of extracts from the article “What is science? - Science aims to explain and understand ”. Recovered from undsci.berkeley.edu.
- Pearson, K. (1857-1936) (Taken from the book "Grammar of Science", 1892). Translated from the article by Varadaraja V. Raman, (June 6, 2008) “The Goal of Science”. Recovered from metanexus.net.
- Ecured.cu. (without date). Karl Pearson, article. Recovered from ecured.cu.
- Hull, L. Taken from the book "History and Philosophy of Science, an Introduction", (1959). Extract from the article by Hernadez, L. (December 9, 2011) "Does science explain the ultimate reason for things?" Recovered from Cienciaonline.com.
- Bunge, M.. Taken from extracts from the book “Science, its method and its philosophy” (1960). Recovered from unsj.edu.ar.
- Bunge, M. Taken from the chapter "What is science?" from the book "Science, its method and its philosophy", (PP 6-23).