Int’l Webinar on “Philosophy and Science: Can the Twain Meet?” concluding at IUST today

Awantipora: Two-day International Webinar on Philosophy and Science: Can the Twain Meet? organized by Averroes Centre for Philosophical Studies, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora from 27-28 August and will conclude today on Sunday.
According to a statement issued from the Public Relations Office of the University the webinar aims to present a concise yet compelling vision of the role of philosophy in the sciences and reinforce how reading, studying and evaluating philosophical arguments in tandem with the sciences as premises and conclusions help face new challenges that emerge as society progresses and technology develops. Scholars from multiple disciplines are participating in the webinar from within and outside the country.
The keynote speaker of the inaugural function of the webinar was Prof Elliott Sober (Hans Reichenbach Professor of Philosophy and William F Vilas Research Professor University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA). The function was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor, IUST, Prof Shakil A Romshoo. Prof Manzoor A Malik (DAA, IUST) was the Guest of Honour. The inaugural function held on the evening of August 26, 2022, was attended by deans, directors, faculty, scholars of IUST and distinguished professors and scholars from across the world.
Prof Lily Want (Director, Averroes Centre for Philosophical Studies) welcoming the guests and participants said that the call of all universities is and should be to help change perspective and prepare students through the integrated learning of the sciences and the humanities. This webinar, she said, opens a window to this holistic learning. It aims at weaving a synthesis of the sciences and the humanities in a way where these disciplines work together, inspiring and depending on each other.
Drawing a strong relationship between Science and Philosophy, Prof. Elliot said “What is now called philosophy is in part a ‘residue’ of problems that have not turned into purely scientific questions. While Science looks for finding new observations that allow a scientist to test hypotheses that we do not already believe, Philosophy is finding new logical arguments to justify propositions that we already believe.”
Emphasizing the relevance of such interdisciplinary events, Prof. Romshoo said, “Today’s education demands a multidisciplinary approach and Philosophy as a discipline has a considerable influence on other scientific disciplines. Though there are some differences between the two disciplines but their correlation cannot be ignored. Natural philosophy is the bridging term between Science and Philosophy”.
In his address, Prof. Manzoor A Malik explained the correlation between physics and philosophy. He said, “Earlier, Physics was called the natural philosophy, as it focuses on nature and the universe. Both these disciplines are concerned with unravelling the complexities of the universe from the smallest to the largest scale”.