Science is key and the first principle in philosophy. Philosophy has and will always be a pursuit of truth, and truth must be grounded in reality. Science represents our current best descriptions of the material world, using observation, experimentation, and evidence to understand the universe. So, a philosophy that ignores or denies science is not philosophy—it’s religion or dogma.
Philosophy, when paired with science, becomes a powerful tool. Science helps us answer the “what” and “how” of the world, while philosophy asks the deeper “why” questions—what does it mean, and how should we live? A well-rounded philosophy integrates both, using science to ground itself in facts while exploring the implications and meaning beyond those facts.
The particles that make up your body were created 13.8 billion years ago. Those particles have been on their own journey, and you are only borrowing them for a brief moment in time. Science describes the path of those particles on that journey. Philosophy delves into the “why” and the “how should we proceed.” It’s good advice, a possible explanation for the unknown, or an exploration of the unknowable.