The difficulty with reconciling natural science and sense perception is that scientific research requires us to formulate abstract notions based on our qualitative observations. The question above mentions the sensory observation that the table is solid, which is accurate. However, this claim is also influenced by the physical boundaries of our senses. We can reconcile the two sources of knowledge but we have to explain how observations developed by natural science are independent of its influence on society.
The contrast between natural science and sense perception proves that observations are susceptible to change as they are dependent on other factors. For example, our senses tell us that an object such as a silver necklace is solid, …show more content…
But that’s not what science is supposed to do, the purpose of science is to explain the qualitative observations we form, not contradict them. Other scientific theories also proclaim that the particles, which either have positive or negative charges, have strong intermolecular forces because of the attraction and repulsion between them. Likewise, the intermolecular forces can behave as a scaffolding to keep the particles of the table together. Accordingly, there is not that much conflict between natural science and sense perception like the question implies there to be.
Language also influences our perception as well as the observations we make from natural science. The word, “solid” refers to a physical concept, not a scientific one; this specifies that we perceive the table as one whole object. When we talk about the physical description of silver or wood, we use the term, “solid” in a practical sense. It doesn’t mean that the item is completely made of matter but only the observation that the object is a solid according to our senses. Nonetheless, we are still allowed to assume that natural science’s theory that a physical object’s particles have spaces between …show more content…
While our five senses do give us information regarding our surroundings, they can also easily play tricks on us. In certain situations, sense perception can be untrustworthy. An example of this is the Hermann Grid illusion. “Discovered more than one century ago, the Hermann grid illusion causes the viewer to see grey patches between the black squares. The effect is the result of an optical process called retinal lateral inhibition, which increases the contrast between the light and dark areas” (In Vivo Magazine). Examples such as this cause our brain and eyes to disagree with each other and confuse our opinion on the situation. But this conflict is reconcilable as we can ignore our faulty senses and therefore, form a stronger opinion on the
The contrast between natural science and sense perception proves that observations are susceptible to change as they are dependent on other factors. For example, our senses tell us that an object such as a silver necklace is solid, …show more content…
But that’s not what science is supposed to do, the purpose of science is to explain the qualitative observations we form, not contradict them. Other scientific theories also proclaim that the particles, which either have positive or negative charges, have strong intermolecular forces because of the attraction and repulsion between them. Likewise, the intermolecular forces can behave as a scaffolding to keep the particles of the table together. Accordingly, there is not that much conflict between natural science and sense perception like the question implies there to be.
Language also influences our perception as well as the observations we make from natural science. The word, “solid” refers to a physical concept, not a scientific one; this specifies that we perceive the table as one whole object. When we talk about the physical description of silver or wood, we use the term, “solid” in a practical sense. It doesn’t mean that the item is completely made of matter but only the observation that the object is a solid according to our senses. Nonetheless, we are still allowed to assume that natural science’s theory that a physical object’s particles have spaces between …show more content…
While our five senses do give us information regarding our surroundings, they can also easily play tricks on us. In certain situations, sense perception can be untrustworthy. An example of this is the Hermann Grid illusion. “Discovered more than one century ago, the Hermann grid illusion causes the viewer to see grey patches between the black squares. The effect is the result of an optical process called retinal lateral inhibition, which increases the contrast between the light and dark areas” (In Vivo Magazine). Examples such as this cause our brain and eyes to disagree with each other and confuse our opinion on the situation. But this conflict is reconcilable as we can ignore our faulty senses and therefore, form a stronger opinion on the