Larger Lessons

Abstract

A reductive view of science usually leads to categorizing the various sciences in terms of a strict hierarchy of significance. At the top are the social sciences, then comes psychology, below it follow neuroscience and biology, then chemistry, and finally physics at the bottom. In this scheme, it must be quickly added, being lower on the totem pole is considered better, more fundamental, closer to the final theory of everything. Conversely, a higher position suggests adjectives such as derivative and applied. Within this logic, psychology is just applied biology (biology of the brain), biology is applied chemistry (the chemistry of cells), chemistry is merely applied physics (the physics of molecules). Even within traditional science disciplines, a hierarchy is set up. For instance, within biology there is microbiology at the bottom and ecology, botany, or physiology near the top. In physics, elementary particle physics is near the bottom and atomic, molecular, condensed-matter, astro- and bio-physics near the top (roughly in that order). Reductionism forces the sciences into strict evaluative schemes and compartments.