Suboptimist

Rob’s beef with science.

There is currently a debate among linguists as to whether linguistics (or, at least theoretical linguistics) can aptly be considered an empirical science, or if it should be classified among non-empirical sciences like formal logic and pure mathematics. The debate has been particularly strong among laboratory phonologists, phoneticians, and psycholinguists. Having become very interested in laboratory phonology, I would contend that linguistics has the potential to be an empirical science. I could write all day about the arguments for and against that proposal, but the real issue behind this [short] update is to indicate to my vast audience whether I would want to be called a scientist or whether I want linguistics to be called a science. In short, the answer is a qualified no, the qualification being that linguistics has the makings of an empirical science. My reasons for this view are, naturally, not based on a solid foundation of reason.

I know scientists. I have friends in the science departments around the country. I know the feelings of other scientists in the positivist and relativist schools of thought, and I can hear the subtle prejudice against behavioral and cognitive sciences in Ira Flatow’s Science Friday (”That’s a claim even a sociologist could make”). The use of the term ‘hard science’ reveals the same prejudicial attitude prevalent among the scientific community. If this  exclusive club can’t accept an important field of inquiry, I am not entirely sure I want to be a part of it.

Lastly, I hate the way science is treated in popular culture. An attentive observer will hear the words ’scientifically proven’ thrown around a lot. People look to science as if it yields answers. It doesn’t; it yields bigger questions (which, of course, I love). If you are looking for answers, turn to philosophy, math, and/or religion.

EDIT:  Sorry if you read this pre-edit.  My spelling goes to pot when I am pushed to moralistic indignation. Also, I think the same kind of feelings are had by many individuals in applied sciences, like engineering and computer science.  Sorry for exclusions.