Philosophy And Science

Carolyn Ray, Ph.D., Philosophical Consultant

Philosophical consultation is both a relatively new process and an ancient and time-honored tradition. All of the modern sciences are the children of philosophy, and philosophy continues to influence and direct scientific research.

Opposing philosophical convictions are, for example, at the heart of the issue of abortion. The determination in any particular case of whether an entity is alive or not, human or not, and conscious or not, is a scientific problem. But the issue of whether it is morally right to abort a fetus is a philosophical issue.

One's psychological response to an abortion is in part a matter of how one resolves the philosophical issue. The horrible trauma experienced by a deeply religious Catholic woman in response to an abortion that saves her own life is partly a response to her philosophical conviction that it is always wrong to take the life of another person, whatever the circumstances: her philosophical convictions are contradictory to the physical necessity of self-preservation. A person who takes individual self-determination and freedom from coercion to be the supreme issue in human relations is unlikely to be as devastated by the same choice under the same circumstances: her philosophical convictions are in line with the physical necessity to terminate the pregancy to save her own life.

Philosophers have been relied upon for thousands of years to provide complex analysis of the most important human questions. But as the promise of modern science to make all questions simple and easy seemed to be coming true, philosophical techniques were relegated to academia.

This is no longer the case. People are once again turning to philosophers to learn how to navigate ancient questions that have suddenly become massively complex. Having arrived at many "simple" solutions, people still find themselves confronted with enduring questions--questions that were never simple before, and now have all the machinery and complexity of the modern world added to the confusion. The mere fact that we can build bombs and abort fetuses and clone human beings leaves unanswered the question of whether we should do any of these things, whether there are special circumstances, and, most importantly, how the individual needs to go about making these decisions. In the rush to create technologies that dispense with physical inconveniences, the human race has all but forgotten the technologies that must be used if it is to deal effectively with its own creations.

Carolyn Ray has been providing consultation to individuals, couples, and groups since 1986. Her private practice, Peace of Mind, is located in La Jolla, CA. She is available by appointment in person as well as by phone and via the internet. Please send email to carolyn AT supersaturated DOT com to request an appointment.

Dr. Ray is owner, editor, and programmer of The Enlightenment Web Site, a philosophical library of popular and technical works.

Carolyn Ray has been providing consultation to individuals, couples, and groups since 1986. Her private practice, Peace of Mind, is located in La Jolla, CA. She is available by appointment in person as well as by phone and via the internet. Please send email to carolyn AT supersaturated DOT com to request an appointment.