by Thu Nguyen

Created on: August 15, 2010   Last Updated: August 16, 2010

No matter what subject you talk about, you will consider two ways of describing it - concrete or abstract. When you apply it to science and philosophy, it is the same. On one area of the spectrum you have the physical nature of how things work and on the other, the existence. With that, how do you balance the knowledge you have between philosophy and science?

The Apple Fell From the Sky

When Sir Isaac Newton told us why the apple fell from the sky in terms of physics, little did the world grasp the wonders of gravity. It was an abstract medium which you can say invisible dimensions were shaped around. It was neither coherent nor did it provoke questions which brought upon it’s existence. Gravity was just that. Something we cannot see.

As physics matured and took on a branch of it’s own, time, space and motion brought with it the instruments of which data and theories emerged from. Thus, the application of physics in nature is seen through action everyday from a simple apple falling off the tree to a car crash on the street. Philosophy does not have the tools to measure the velocity of the weight or impact for both, science however can. Knowing this, science base their theories on facts and philosophy, what ifs.

The Big Bang Theory 

Whether this debate is derived from a philosophy about God, there is proof in science that there in fact was a big bang that happened millions of years ago which shaped our galaxy of universes. Beyond that, who God is and where he came from, science cannot explain. Philosophy gives us questions to ask ourselves in terms of the existence to which we have evolved in.

So if the earth was formed 4.54 billion years ago, who made it? No one has a clue but the debate keeps going because there is strong belief that the existence of God is not of this earth but from a spiritual realm which science cannot touch. With that, claims of apocalyptic disasters plague the news and media everyday.

However, that is just getting ahead of ourselves. We are in no way able to understand who God is. God is an abstract entity entirely of our own creation and belief perhaps even a million lives before us. The questions which we derive towards understanding our existence in relations to our creator now can take a lifetime to understand. That's what philosophy is - understanding our existence and it’s purpose.

Overall, understanding the practice of philosophy and the sciences require that you pay attention to what can be measured concretely and what is asked abstractly. Knowing the difference between both, you can apply the theories and practical applications towards understanding your subject better.

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