Modern Breakthroughs in Science: A Pragmatic Approach

Authors

  • Kamaruzzaman Yunus Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia.
  • Abdurezak A. Hashi Department of Biotechnology, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia.
  • B. Akbar John Institute of Oceanography and Maritime Study (INOCEM), International Islamic University Malaysia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/revival.v4i1.106

Abstract

Abstract

Scientific breakthroughs have to some extent helped man’s understanding of the laws of nature. However, scientific breakthroughs have raised some philosophical and moral concerns among ethicists as well as scientists. This is because, while scientific breakthroughs are worthwhile; nevertheless, in the prospect of putting scientific achievements into perspective, philosophical concerns have been raised about the position of science in man’s stock of knowledge, particularly the authority of science and its relation to other sources of knowledge. These concerns are related to whether or not science constitutes the only genuine source of true knowledge, i.e. are the methods of science preferable over other sources of knowledge? In addition, besides the philosophical concerns about the modern progress of science, questions about the place of moral values in modern and contemporary scientific breakthroughs constitute another matter of concern among many scientists and scholars of ethics. One of the primary questions of this concern is related to whether or not scientific progress ought to be limited to what man ought to do? Similar question is raised about the relationship between the application of science and moral values. This paper intends to explain the need for wasatiyyah (pragmatic) approach in answering these and other questions related to the progress of science.

 

Key words: wasatiyyah, pragmatic approach, modern science, scientism, moral values.

 

Abstrak

Penemuan saintifik telah membantu manusia untuk memahami undang-undang alam. Walau bagaimanapun, penemuan saintifik telah menimbulkan beberapa kebimbangan dari segi falsafah dan moral di kalangan ahli etika dan juga ahli-ahli sains. Ini kerana,  prospek dalam meletakkan kejayaan pencapaian saintifik ke dalam prospektif, kebimbangan psikologi telah meningkatkan kedudukan sains dalam pemahaman manusia terutamanya penguasaan sains dan kaitan yang berhubung dengan sumber pengetahuan yang lain walaupun penemuan saintifik amat berharga. Kebimbangan ini adalah berkaitan dengan ketulenan sumber pengetahuan yang benar, dalam pemilihan kaedah sains adalah lebih baik daripada sumber pengetahuan yang lain. Kedua, selain daripada kebimbangan psikologikal mengenai kemajuan sains moden, persoalan melibatkan nilai-nilai moral dalam pencapaian saintifik moden dan kontemporari membentuk permasalahan di kalangan ramai ahli sains dan cendekiawan etika. Salah satu persoalan yang utama mengenai kebimbangan ini adalah penglibatan keterbatasan kemajuan sains terhadap keterbatasan keupayaan manusia? Persoalan yang sama dibangkitkan mengenai hubungan antara pengaplikasian sains dan nilai-nilai moral. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan keperluan bagi pendekatan wasatiyyah (pragmatik) dalam menjawab segala persoalan yang berhubung dengan kemajuan sains.

 

Kata kunci: wasatiyyah, pendekatan pragmatik, sains moden, saintisme, nilai moral.

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Published

2014-06-30

How to Cite

Yunus, K., Hashi, A. A., & John, B. A. (2014). Modern Breakthroughs in Science: A Pragmatic Approach. Revelation and Science, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.31436/revival.v4i1.106

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