Summations Only

Science has answered 'why are we here?': We are here because we are descended from a long line of ancestors who were successful reproducers. Why successful reproducers? Because unsuccessful ones died out without leaving descendants.That answer might not be satisfying to some, who hoped there was some fantastic reason for us being here, but it has the advantage of being evidence based and apparently quite true.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

Nope. That is why we are here. It's the same question, it just has a built in assumption of a higher purpose given by some agency that simply has no evidence. Without that assumption, the answer is simply mundane. But it still answers the question, even if it is not to the listeners satisfaction.

I mean 'real how', the 'deeper how'. It can answer the physical in terms of the physical, but it can't give metaphysical descriptions for exactly how, in the imminent sense of being itself, things happen.How do birds sing?Not the mechanics of birdsong, but how is it that a metaphysical being of actual existence can bring forth the form of beauty and feelings of love within the substance of the soul.Science cannot address such questions.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

I'll join bluegenes in an objection to being listed in this group (I'm sure cavediver will likewise object).My position is that science can and does answer 'why' questions.
My position is that science is very good at doing it.
My position is that science is the best way of answering many 'why' questions.There are plenty of 'why' questions that science cannot answer, for example:Why is Mozart better than Beethoven?
Why do birds suddenly appear, every time, you are near? ^*
Why do purposeful green ideas sleep furiously?
Why does god threaten to torture married people who find people other than their spouse attractive?
Why is it good to help a person who has been beaten and robbed?
Why is evidence a useful tool in determining truth?
Why does the imminent universal creative spirit cause things to be?
Why did god create man?
Why did god make the sky blue?
Why is there something rather than nothing?^**The easiest way to think of one for yourself is to ask a why question that assumes something that is not a scientific issue. Aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, theology etc.^* unless it is actually true that birds suddenly appear when you are near, then the answer is likely to not only be because the birds want to be close to the person in question - which seems true by definition (unless the answer is that the person is suffering from confirmation bias or something, I guess) - but also science can in principle find out why birds want to be close to the person.^** Science may give an answer to this (though I am highly skeptical of this), but I have a feeling that whatever answer may be found, someone can easily just ask of it '...but why?', for infinityEdited by Modulous, : No reason given.

That was the position I took earlier, especially with jar. I don't think so... It is only a free will issue if you define 'free' as being 'free of deterministic laws'. If you are talking about free will meaning 'the capacity of making decisions without external duress', then it isn't a free will issue. Only if we assume there is a dualistic non-deterministic 'will' in operation. This goes back to my point about asking

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a why question that assumes something that is not a scientific issue

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If we instead assume that will is just a complex mechanistic thing (ie., an evidenced will), we can answer why questions about it to our hearts content

If you want to say 'Science can't answer questions that make unstated assumptions that we stipulate are uninvestigatable through science' then yes, obviously. I believe I said largely the same earlier.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.