Once the study of the physical universe was described as 'natural philosophy'. It is even today used as the name for physics in some Oxford University courses. But for more than a century, science has been seen as a neutral examination of facts and evidence and to have thrown off its philosophical roots. Yet critics argue this is an illusion as science carries the perspective and prejudices of those involved. Moreover many leading scientists see scientific theories as models of the world, in which case the choice of which model to adopt would seem a philosophical choice rather than a purely empirical one.
Should we conclude science and philosophy both require the other? Currently only 3% of academic philosophy papers cite scientific evidence, should philosophy abandon armchair reasoning and instead test its theories against the world? Might the future be one where science and philosophy are again seen as a single discipline, and if so will this lead to faster and more beneficial change, or will it undermine progress and lead to pointless debate?
