ABSTRACT

This chapter contributes toward developing an Orthodox philosophy of science. Contemporary Orthodox Christians might ask what need is there for an Orthodox philosophy, let alone an Orthodox philosophy of science. Authentic philosophy is a transformative spiritual quest for wisdom in order to become as wise as far as humanly possible. The premodern hierarchical classification of branches of knowledge and disciplines reflects the idea that philosophical theology is the highest science. Frank C. Keil's research findings in human cognitive development accord well with the Cappadocians' apophatic philosophy of language. The findings indicate that even scientific concepts, models, and theories serve as discursive and rhetorical heuristic prompts and props for nondiscursive noetic flashes of insight. It also means that the dianoetic aspects of knowledge are symbolic and not literal; an Orthodox epistemology of science will not only be attuned to the apophatic nature of science, but also to the rhetorical, literary, and symbolic nature of scientific discourse.