Science and scientific method

• two defining moments stand out in the intellectual theory of humankind
• First, greek philosophy- thales
• second, rise of modern science - galileo to newton
• In non-Western societies where Western civilization has made deep inroads—such as Philippine society—there is hardly an institution that has not been influence directly or indirectly by both.
• science as “rational inquiry into Nature”
• By rational we mean that such inquiry must be within some logical structure
• Nature, which is the object of the inquiry.
• two entities: the object of the inquiry and the (mind of the) inquirer
• The object of inquiry is assumed to have an objective existence independent of the inquirer’s.
• The inquirer is assumed to have an objective existence independent of the inquirer’s
• The inquirer is assumed to be capable of rational inquisition.
• we can set the observer/inquirer apart from Nature and that the boundary between them can be delineated clearly.
• the purpose of this rational inquiry is to gain knowledge about Nature
• “scientific knowledge” can be taken as a mental picture of what Nature is.
• In our mind, there exists some sort of a model, which we believe represent the physical Nature found “out there”.
• Any bit of scientific knowledge is a declarative statement about the real world
• the validity of which is eventually decided through observation and experimentation.
• the conflict cannot be resolved by mere debates, argumentation, or ratiocination.
• the contending parties must resort to experimentation and observation to resolve the conflict.
• scientific knowledge is much more than just a mere collection of empirical statements
• For a collection of empirical statements to constitute scientific knowledge, it must satisfy at least the following requirements: a) the collection must be internally consistent; b) there must be a logical interrelationship between the statements that organizes them into a coherent whole c) we should be able to deduce a prediction, which can then be tested by an experiment or observation
• due to imperfections in our information and knowledge, the interconnections could be very tight and rigid in some areas, while very tenuous in other areas.
• At the lowest level are the primitive statements of direct observation
• next level are statements that are not of direct observation, but instead express some common features of or relationship between the entities.
• general statements, or natural law, together with their logical scaffolding, their tacit assumptions and philosophical underpinning would make up what we commonly call scientific theory.
• the highest level are the overarching fundamental principles that encompass the entire range of the Natural Sciences.
• This majestic edifice of scientific observations, laws, theories, and principles, together with all the (explicit or tacit) philosophical assumptions necessary to hold them together, constitute what we call the scientific Weltanschauung or scientific world view
• The affirmation of the Weltanschauung is what differentiates the mind of a scientist from a non-scientist’s.
• Thomas Kuhn (1962) referred to as the scientific paradigm
• , scientists all subscribe to the existing paradigm (or model) of their discipline.
• scientists do what Kuhn calls “normal science”.
• therefore, the paradigm is not perfect representation of the real world—there are discoveries and observation made every now and then that do not quite fit into the paradigm. These are called anomalies.
• Over time, these unexplainable anomalies accumulate, creating an intellectual tension within the community.
• When this is the case, then the existing paradigm is overthrown and a new one is established. After the smoke has cleared in this “scientific revolution,” as Kuhn calls
• The twentieth century saw two scientific revolutions in physics: Einstein’s Theory of Relativity and the rise of Quantum Physics.
• there is a division between the theorists and the experimentalists.
• The purpose of any scientific research is to arrive at a statement that describes an aspect of the physical world, whether it is one of simple observation, or a generalization
• Before a scientist embarks on his research quest, he must already have an idea of what he is looking for
• If the problem is too simple or insignificant, or if the problem turns out to be impossible, the investigator will have wasted time and effort.
• It should also be pointed out that seldom is a scientist solving only one problem. It is usually a host of problems that is being solved.