A Brief Look from the Neurosurgical Perspective into the Philosophy of Science

Philosophy meaning "love of wisdom" is a research product of people who think, produce ideas, and transfer these ideas to each other. The philosophy of science questions the concept of "scientific knowledge" and analyzes the procedures and observations for a logical explanation of facts from a scientific perspective that is important for natural sciences in general and neurosurgery in particular. Observation, experimentation/measuring, and scientific explanations are examples of the methods of the philosophy of science. Besides the theories, facts, and logical/strong evidences, there are numerous concepts of the philosophy of science in neurosurgery that are difficult to understand in practice. For example, do "numbness," "pain," and "visual analog score" mean the same to the patient and the doctor? Can mechanical low back pain and instability be a real subject of the philosophy of science in the same phenomenon; how can a concept of movement-"instability" explain the cause of a concept of sensation-"pain"? Can concepts from entirely different categories like "dynamic stabilization" occur in the same scientific explanation? There are also some problematic terms that remain unsolved such as "observable" and "unobservable," which gradually increase with technological advances in neuroscience. In conclusion, these types of subjects not only affect the basis of our "scientific knowledge" but also the relationships with our patients and colleagues; it is essential to "understand" and be "understandable." We should bring "scientific perspectives" to these issues by using critical, analytical, and integrative features of philosophy.