The Right Tool for the Job

You wouldn’t want to use a hammer for a job needing a chain saw (or vice versa). And even if it did “work” to some degree, it wouldn’t do as good or efficient a job. Likewise, using the wrong “tool” to understand the Universe and our place within it will either not work, or will partially work–but not as well.

I am speaking about the science versus spirituality pseudo debate. Science is the right “tool” for understanding some aspects of our experience, whereas spirituality is a better “tool” for other aspects. Using the wrong tool for the job at hand is what creates this false dichotomy.

For example, if you want to explain HOW the Universe and the life within were created, spirituality–particularly organized religion–is a poor tool. Science is a superior tool for understanding the “how” of  experience. However, knowing how the Universe, etc. came into being doesn’t tell us much about WHY these things happened. In other words, science as a tool can only tell us so much and only about some things. Beyond this, we need a different tool. Spirituality, philosophy, metaphysics, and–yes–even organized religion can provide us with information beyond the scope of science.

One place where I see this most clearly is in the field of psychology. At one end you have the Medical model Behaviorists who desperately want psychology to be a “hard” science. On the other, are the Humanists who believe the complexity of the human psyche can never be reduced to brain chemistry and simple stimulus-response reactions. Yes, there is a “science” aspect of psychology, but there is also an “art” aspect. Every study shows that the best psychotherapeutic outcomes result from a combination of appropriate medication (when warranted)–the science piece–and counseling/therapy–the art piece.

In trying to understand our place within the cosmos, we need the same combination of science (astrophysics, quantum mechanics, etc.) and art (philosophy, spirituality, metaphysics, etc.).