[CHips]

Without putting too much thought into it, I'll say that the short answer is "Yes and no".

Meaning,

The massive leaps made in science and technological advancement have changed the world in ways never thought possible. The quality of life for vast numbers of humans has risen to incredible levels. Science(a very broad term, if there ever was one) has served mankind well; just look at how it impacts your daily life. The computer you're using, the vehicle you're driving, the food you eat, the medications you take, etc, etc. I honestly don't think our society, as a whole, could survive without scientific research, development, advancement, and indoctrination into our lives.

This brings us to your question: "Is our faith in science justified?".

As I stated earlier, I would say that it is justified in some ways, but not in others. There are several factors to examine, but the first tidbit that pops into my mind is the issue of scientific theories being debunked. Many things thought of as "fact" in past years have been determined to be false. Give this some thought and you'll probably think of a few examples. Science is not to be taken as law... Theories that have been reached through proper scientific method and have been extensively reviewed, combed over, and finally accepted can usually be trusted; but there is always a possibility of a future discovery making that widely accepted theory null and void.

Another problem is "junk science"... I think you probably have a good idea of what this is. An excellent example I see on a daily basis are the television ads for things such as nutrition supplements. "Scientific studies" are cited and absurd claims are made.

This is where a cynical attitude earns its keep... Who did these studies? Who funded them? What was their motivation? Is it possible that the data may be skewed? Have other studies presented results that conflict with the findings of the original study? These are all things that the majority of the population does not take into account. They see catch phrases such as "scientific" or "proven" and blindly follow. This is where having too much faith can become an issue.


There's much more to it than that, but I'm tired and having a hard time thinking right now; I've just barely scratched the surface. Hopefully you'll be able to get a vague idea of which direction to bring your paper.