Where is the line of demarcation between “descriptive” and “mechanistic?
” Starting with the assumption that there is a difference between “descriptive” and “mechanistic” science and seeking a clear line of demarcation that can be expressed in words, one immediately runs into the problem that the description of a process can be considered the mechanism for another process. To further illustrate this point, let us consider a hypothetical situation. A scientist walks into a dark room and encounters impenetrable darkness. A candle is lit and the scientist now perceives the outline of the room. The scientist decides to investigate the phenomenon of light. The mechanism responsible for the light is the candle. However, the scientist notes that only part of the candle emits light and determines that the mechanism for light is the flame. In describing the flame, the investigator establishes that the mechanism for the flame is combustion. Describing combustion, the scientist determines that the mechanism is a series of oxidation-reduction reactions that in turn are
