Philosophers and scientists

Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino

MY dear erudite friend and colleague at the Graduate School of Law, Prof. Clarita Carlos, posted something about scientists envying philosophers who did not have to prove their positions with empirical evidence. She has raised an important point.

I commented by agreeing with her — and by pointing out that it really was not the task of philosophers to adduce facts — that’s the province of science. Of course, when scientists and philosophers did not distinguish their concerns (Thales and the whole lot of the pre-Socratics, down to the time, perhaps of Aristotle), both were both! However, it is generally understood today that what a philosopher does is pay heed to the facts scientists make available — and then describe them.