Science and Human Freedom
This book argues for two claims: firstly, determinism in science does not infringe upon human free will because it is descriptive, not prescriptive, and secondly, the very formulation, testing and justification of scientific theories presupposes human fre
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Science and Human Freedom
Michael Esfeld
Science and Human Freedom
Michael Esfeld Section de Philosophie University of Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland
ISBN 978-3-030-37770-0 ISBN 978-3-030-37771-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37771-7 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Introduction
The age of enlightenment has two faces. On the one hand, there is the liberation of humankind as expressed, for instance, in Immanuel Kant’s (1784) definition of enlightenment as “man’s emergence from his selfimposed immaturity”.1 On the other hand, there is scientism, that is, the idea that scientific knowledge is unlimited, encompassing also humankind and all aspects of our existence, as illustrated, for instance, in Julien Offray de La Mettrie’s L’homme machine (1747). Both have the rejection of knowledge claims of traditional authorities (such as the church) in common. But whereas the former is about giving each person the freedom to take their own decisions, the latter paves the way for assuming that scientific knowledge is in the position to predetermine the appropriate decisions, both individually and collectively. These two faces of enlightenment can be traced back to antiquity. According to Aristotle’s Politics, the organization of society is a matter of decisions that the citizens have to take in common deliberation. It is not predetermined by any knowledge. For Plato, by contrast, it is a question of knowledge how to conduct one’s individual life as well as society. Consequently, as he sets out in the Republic, the philoso
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