[indy]

As someone mentioned on Twitter: "When you mix Science with Politics you end up with Politics"

[iammisc]

Given that science relies on communities to verify each other's work, it is inherently a political enterprise. Politics is the study of the 'polis', or an organized community. Given that science itself forms an organized community of scientists, science is an inherently human and political endeavor, even if it's oriented at finding natural truth.

[simonh]

Anything + Politics = Politics

[OJFord]

And also Science + Anything = Not Science, I suppose!

[midasuni]

Anything = politics

[Torwald]

religion + politics = religion (?) eg. Aztec empire

edit: the Aztec empire is an example for this. The religion was politically enforced and thus the political system became part of the religion.

So the question is, isn't religion a case that refutes the parent's hypothessis.

[clairity]

religion is a way to coalesce and exert power on large groups of people. religion is politics.

[mensetmanusman]

That’s a political view of religion, most religious I know are simply asking ‘why something instead of nothing?’

[clairity]

but that's like looking at a function and defining it by its initial value. a function has meaning and importance beyond the 0th-order. and it's a philosophical view moreso than a political one (a political view posits how to use religion in the service of power).

[mensetmanusman]

Maybe. That wouldn’t explain why religion (asking these questions) has existed in every human tribe forever.

[arcbyte]

For very narrow definitions of religion, sure.

[clairity]

rather a very significant aspect of religion, otherwise spirituality would suffice.