Difference Between Science and Philosophy
Science and philosophy are general conceptions of universal reality that start from the study and interpretation of specific themes, situations, phenomena or objects but from different points of view. From there it derives that talking about philosophy is not the same as talking about science. By virtue of this affirmation, in this article both definitions are presented in order to later differentiate the characteristics of each one of them.
Science
Science is the continuous exercise of knowing, investigating, explaining or understanding something. Within the context of science, -to know- means to exercise curiosity, observe and collect enough information to identify, distinguish and describe the different characteristics of reality in the most truthful way. This reality can be real, virtual, concrete, natural, artificial, abstract, physical or metaphysical.
We can understand science as all that set of -certain- knowledge of things by their principles and causes, based on principles that formulate laws that govern the phenomena studied.
Science is also closely linked to the action of analyzing things as they are, keeping ourselves out of the picture. It is a clear way of knowing and valuing, in addition to generating the power to reject, refute, accept, adopt, and keep a certain distance and even change things .
The objective of science is based on its experimental method to give satisfactory answers to the “why” of things. That is why science is made up of a series or set of ordered and systematized steps whose purpose is to obtain knowledge.
Philosophy
The concept of philosophy is broad and extensive. However, it could be said that philosophy is the art of loving knowledge about one thing or many things. Philosophy is a permanent and persistent question. Philosophy has wondered about being, about knowledge, about history, about man, about truth, about justice, about a just society, about the existence of God, among others.
We could suppose that philosophy is the discipline of reaching knowledge, about some activity or trade; however, philosophy is the question of the “why” of things, based on their existential and non-existential essence, such as, does a god exist?
Philosophy has tried to be radical, rational and grounded, that is, a question that wants to get to the root, with the instrument of reason and rigorously demonstrated. In philosophy nothing is without foundation, nothing without the analytical, critical and demonstrative power of reason, nothing without reaching first principles and first causes.
As can be seen, there are important and marked differences between science and philosophy , which are indicated in the following table:
| Philosophy | Science |
| Philosophy is rational and intellect because it is based on reason. | Science is mostly experimental in nature. |
| Philosophy is methodical and orderly. | Science is explanatory. |
| It is totalitarian, because it studies the issues in an integral way, as a whole. | It is detailed, because it studies the topics as parts that make up a whole. |
| Philosophy is deep and fundamental | Science is observant and rigorous |