Key Differences Between Philosophy, Science, and Myth

Posted on Jan 24, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics

Philosophy and Myth

Philosophy and myth differ in that philosophy employs argumentative and non-narrative discourse. Philosophy draws conclusions from logical reasoning, while mythical stories have a narrative structure.

Philosophy and Science

Philosophy and science differ in that science asks questions about concrete reality, and philosophy asks questions regarding general concepts. In science, answers rely on observation and experimentation, while in philosophy, answers are derived from arguments.

Scientific Explanation

Scientific explanations are answers to questions that arise from the contemplation of nature. They may have numerous applications and are based on the hypothetical-deductive method, which consists of three steps:

  1. Determine the problem that needs a solution.
  2. Formulate hypotheses to explain the causes of the phenomenon.
  3. Design experiments that allow us to contrast the hypothesis with nature and see whether or not it is correct.

Parmenides

Parmenides was born in the late sixth century BC. His work divides pre-Socratic philosophy into two well-defined periods: that of the earlier system of nature and that of the later pluralistic systems. Fragments of his poem on being are preserved, where he expresses how a goddess transports him to heaven and shows him the paths of knowledge:

  1. The path of doxa, based on what the senses show. It is taking the appearances of things as they are.
  2. The path of episteme, or science, is the way of truth. Truth is revealed through reasoning.

For Parmenides, thinking and being are the same; that is, what we express is the authentic reality of being. Being is; not being is not.

Branches of Philosophy

  1. Epistemology: Studies the possibility, origin, and limits of knowledge. It is included within the philosophy of science, which deals with the study of what science is, defining it and distinguishing it from other discourses.
  2. Logic: The study of valid reasoning.
  3. Metaphysics: Reflects on what exists; it is also called ontology. It deals with being in general.
  4. Aesthetics: Deals with the problem of art and tries to solve problems of beauty.
  5. Ethics: Deals with behavior.
  6. Political Philosophy: Questions how to live, the arrangement, and the enhancement of the state.

Myth

Myth is a narrative starring some beings that explains the creation of some element of nature. The narratives are located outside of historical time. There are several types of myths:

  1. Theogonies: Narrate the origin and descent of the gods.
  2. Cosmogonies: Describe the origin of the universe.
  3. Etiological Myths: Explain the appearance of a new being or a part of reality.

Philosophy

Philosophy is an activity that reflects on concepts or ideas that are supposedly philosophical. Philosophy begins with the raising of questions about concepts. The philosopher defends or criticizes a thesis through argument or reason.

Science

Science is evidence-based knowledge used to explain how the world is structured and operates.

Differences Between Science and Myth

  • Science is based on observation and experimentation, but myth is just a product of imagination.
  • Science is provisional knowledge; however, myth is a story meant to be true.
  • Science, in addition to explaining its theories, predicts future events; however, myth cannot predict any phenomenon.
  • Science has an author who makes theories known, yet myth is an anonymous story.
  • Science attempts to describe the causes and actual mechanisms causing natural phenomena, and myth does not describe anything; it only tells a supernatural story.