COUNTERING PUBLIC MISPERCEPTIONS OF THE HISTORICAL SCIENCES

Those who oppose the current conclusions of the historical sciences commonly see scientific and theological descriptions of reality as being mutually exclusive and contradictory. A “warfare” view of science and faith is widely assumed. This view is supported by erroneous understandings of the nature of historical and theoretical science. It is also supported by a distorted understanding of the history of science.

There is a widespread perception that the focus of science on natural cause-and-effect explanations is a thinly disguised effort to promote a godless worldview, rather than an inherent methodological limitation. Science is also commonly understood as simply the accumulation of observational fact. Theories are viewed as merely unsubstantiated guesses, rather than as the unifying concepts that give our observations coherence and meaning. The dynamic nature of science with the continual revision of theoretical constructs becomes evidence of the fleeting validity of scientific “truth” and a basis for its rejection. Theories within the historical sciences, in particular, are seen as being inherently untestable and driven by a materialistic philosophical agenda.

These various public misperceptions will be illustrated by public comments made during the public debate over the Kansas State science standards in 1999. Possible ways in which scientists and science educators can respond will be addressed.