If you had MC Hammer taking a stand for the proposed intersection of philosophy and science on your proverbial bingo card for 2021, then today’s your day.
As you may have seen in circulation on your timeline this morning, the Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em artist has emerged as a leading inspirer of spirited discussion thanks to his response to a certain tweet. The tweet in question, as seen below, saw someone replying to Hammer’s sharing of an analysis paper on “the visibility of philosophy of science in the sciences.” In their reply, the Twitter used shared their opinion that philosophy was “flirtation with ideas,” while science marked a “commitment to truth.”
Later, Hammer responded to this posited explanation of differences, arguing that science and philosophy can work together.
“You bore us,” he said. “If science is a ‘commitment to truth’ shall we [cite] all the historical non-truths perpetuated by scientists? Of course not. It’s not science vs philosophy … It’s science + philosophy. Elevate your Thinking and Consciousness. When you measure include the measurer.”
Naturally, Hammer’s message in promotion of a “science plus philosophy” approach (as opposed to an approach in which both fields are pitted against one another) has been met with a lively back-and-forth among his followers and beyond. Particular emphasis has been placed on the “include the measurer” line, with some even going so far as to link Hammer’s message back to his 1990 blockbuster hit “U Can’t Touch This.”
See it all in action below.
