Reductionism in Science Chapter 5

Reductionism in Science

• Reductionism treats scientific inquiry akin to a mathematical equation, emphasizing cause and effect relationships.
• The goal is to confidently establish that A causes B, paving the way for potential solutions to reduce or eliminate problematic outcomes (e.g., reducing liver cancer by minimizing exposure to aflatoxin).
• This approach operates under the assumption that the world functions linearly, driven by simple causal relationships.

Conditions for Establishing Causality

• Three classic conditions are necessary to prove that A causes B:
  • A must consistently precede B.
  • B must always occur after A.
  • No other factor C should be able to cause B.

Philosophical Implications

• Reductionist philosophy posits that the universe operates mechanically, akin to a clock, suggesting deterministic behavior.
• Some thinkers propose that free will is an illusion, links human thoughts and emotions to a chain of chemical reactions stemming back to the Big Bang.

Limitations of Reductionism

• The metaphor by psychologist Abraham Maslow suggests that a narrow perspective can limit problem-solving approaches; seeing only in terms of simple causality can obscure complex realities.
• Reductionist research produces findings that are inherently reductionist, potentially overlooking deeper complexities in phenomena.
• If simple causality is not evident in research, it may indicate that the methodology is flawed or that there is a lack of advanced observational or computational tools to uncover hidden causalities.