Limitations of Science

Limitations of Science

A Reflection on Natural Science

Given the task to search for the three limitations of science, I found the following answers. “Science can’t answer questions about value, Science can’t answer questions of morality, and finally, Science can’t help us with questions about the supernatural.”¹

Since I was a kid, I had questions in my mind that I want to ask my parents. I tried to ask them about myself, about others, our physical characteristics, our house, the Earth, the Solar System and about everything I see. I realized that I can’t apply science to everything because everything has its own limits. Even though man tries to solve more mysteries just to answer all the Whys and the What ifs.

Science can’t answer questions about value. Science really cannot answer questions that simply compare two bags of money with this question “Which one is designed prettier. Another is there is no scientific question such as “Which one is valuable, the diamond or the pearl?” So there’s no way to scientifically determine value.²

Science can’t questions of morality. When we talk of Science, we say that morality is to determine if an act is morally good or morally evil. There can’t be a detector that can show how evil or how good a person acted on a particular circumstance. Another question that science cannot answer is: “If science can measure the weight, height and age of a fetus, can science determine or measure the morality running inside the fetus?” Even psychology cannot answer that. So, morality can’t be measured by science.

And Science cannot help us with the questions about the Supernatural or the Absolute. By the word itself, supernatural, science can measure things that are natural. But it can’t measure supernatural things such as the Spirit and God. Truly, how can man reach the fact that he can measure the Creator or see Him or touch Him? Naturally he can’t do it. Science can do it. Science is bound only to natural things, and not on supernatural things because supernatural things are beyond man’s grasp. Unless if we can experience Beatific Vision, we can say that it’s possible. But with our situation now, I can say that it is impossible to become possible.

^{1 and 2} http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/03/08/the-limitations-of-science/