News > International Philosophy Day: Why science needs philosophy

International Philosophy Day: Why science needs philosophy

Despite the tight historical links between science and philosophy, present-day scientists often perceive philosophy as antagonistic to, science.

Philosophy offers conceptual clarification. Conceptual clarifications not only improve the precision and utility of scientific terms but also lead to novel experimental investigations because the choice of a given conceptual framework strongly constrains how experiments are conceived. Philosophy can contribute to the critique of scientific assumptions—and can even be proactive in formulating novel theories that help set new paths for empirical research.