CHARLES ADRIAN C.

RABANAL
BSIT II – 3
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Module 6 – Learning Activity No. 1 (GE6)

Watch the documentary film The Magician's Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case
Against Scientism at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPeyJvXU68k.

After watching the documentary and reflecting on its connection to human flourishing,
write an analysis of the documentary by answer the following questions:

1. What is scientism? Why was Lewis against it?

 Scientism is the efforts to use the methods of science to explain and

control every part of human life.
 Lewis was not anti-science, but was opposed to “Scientism”, which may
be defined as the “Wrong- headed belief that modern science supplies the
only reliable method of knowledge about the world and also, that scientist
should be the ones to dictate public policy and even our moral and
religious beliefs simply on the basis of their scientific expertise.

2. Science was compared science to magic in three ways: as religion, as credulity,

and as power. Explain his comparison for each case.

 Science as religion. Consider the crowd of atheists that attend the

national Reason Rally, science giving meaning to people’s lives, and
Darwin Day celebrations. This is what religion does.
 Science as credulity. Science discourages scepticism and encourages
gullibility. And what is it built on? C.S. Lewis said, “If my own mind is a
product of the irrational, how shall I trust my mind when it tells me about
evolution?
CHARLES ADRIAN C. RABANAL
BSIT II – 3
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

 Science as power. Much of science is devoted to power over nature.

Unlike magic, you actually can control people with science. Eugenics,
drone aircraft, bar codes, trans humanism, and surveillance cameras are
some of the many technologies that have downsides.

3. Based on what you have learned in the documentary film, what is the presented
principle of modernity and its values in the magician’s twin?

 The presented principle of modernity is that “nothing is sacred”. Its value

include the human person. When modernity happens, there will be no
distinctions between individuals or humans between animals and
vegetables and all other non-human creatures.

4. How does scientism threaten the human person thriving in science and
technology? Why should science adhere to a moral basis that is not dictated by
science itself?

 It doesn’t. Scientism is a made-up word used to describe a belief that

focusing our time and effort on science will generally result in making
human life better, and that no other supposed “method of investigation”
has the potential to do this. It also carries the implication that this belief is
somehow wrong.
But since the 400 years of history show us that focusing time and effort on
science has generally resulted in making human life better, and that no
other supposed “method of investigation” has ever achieved anything at
all, it seems like a very reasonable belief to hold.
 Scientific investigations must be adhere to a moral rules. The rules help
ensure that science is done safely and that scientific knowledge is reliable.
Sometimes science can help people make moral decisions in their own
lives, but other factors usually must be considered as well.
CHARLES ADRIAN C. RABANAL
BSIT II – 3
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY