nonscience

Nonscience is a term used in discussions of knowledge and inquiry to denote domains, claims, or discourse that lie outside the methods and aims of science. It is not a formal field or body of theory. The term is used to distinguish what science seeks to explain from what it does not—either because the questions lie outside empirical testability or because the methods of verification do not apply.

Origin and usage: The word appears in philosophy of science, science communication, and media studies as a way to categorize statements that are not testable, falsifiable, or amenable to systematic investigation. Proponents use it to describe everyday beliefs, cultural practices, or aesthetic judgments that science does not claim to address.

Distinction from pseudoscience: Nonscience is not the same as pseudoscience. Pseudoscience presents itself as scientific and seeks to gain legitimacy; nonscience simply lies outside the scientific project, yet may still hold value in other domains such as ethics, religion, or art.

Limitations and critiques: The term can be controversial and ambiguous. Critics warn that labeling as nonscience risks devaluing legitimate non-empirical knowledge and reinforces a strict hierarchy of disciplines. The boundary between science and nonscience is often porous and contested.

Contexts and examples: In education and public discourse, nonscience is used to discuss why certain questions—such as personal meaning, moral judgment, or ritual practices—fall outside empirical investigation, while science addresses questions about natural phenomena, mechanisms, and testable hypotheses.