1. What, according to Burke, are some of the the major "changes"
- revolutions - that have taken place in history? How have changes in scientific
theoretic viewpoints (paradigms, world views) affected society and vice-versa?
That is, does science effect society, or does changes in society effect
science? Or both?
2. Burke suggests that we have adopted from the ancient Greeks the value
that inquiry is important and appropriate ("inquiring minds want to
know"); it is appropriate to investigate the world around us, and
everything we learn ought to be consistent with everything else. Do you
agree? Do all cultures share this ideal? Should all cultures adopt this
western thought ideal of objective inquiry?
3. Key figures in scientific revolutions - Newton, Einstein, Darwin - describe
their insights as "flashes of inspiration." What do you think?
If this is true, does that mean that scientific progress in non-rational
and non-scientific (it came to me in a dream, rather than, it follows from
previously known principles)?
4. The burning of witches and witch trial segment -- were the people at
that time irrational in their beliefs, and unscientific? What is the relationship
between science and culture? Are the modern beliefs we have more rational
or just different? Why?
5. Is scientific investigation totally objective, or does it involve prejudice/bias
of some kind? Why or why not?
6. Burke shows some optical illusions. What does this demonstrate about
the importance of frames of reference? How does this relate to scientific
observation?
7. To what extent is scientific knowledge relative? If it is, what the
relationship between scientific knowledge and THE TRUTH?
8. Is science incompatible with religion? What is the importance of each?
How are they similar and different in purpose and method? Can a scientist
hold religious beliefs simultaneously with his/her scientific values?
9. Sometimes science fails -- e.g. the Piltdown Man. What does this and
other example show about how science works and doesn't work?
10. What conclusions do you draw from Burke's presentation of the worldview
of Buddhism? How does that worldview differ from western culture? How is
it similar? Who is right? What about cultures of the past?