What Is Science? Part Ii

[Ken]

As threatened..... promised, Part II follows:

 

 

Part 2 - Fundamental Assumptions

 

In Part 1 I tried to show how the three methods of inquiry differ -- primarily in what qualifies as a "Fact" for each of Science, Philosophy, and Theology. In Science Fact is defined in terms of the physical world, the events studied can be measured, observed, etc. In Philosophy Fact is defined in terms of logical constructs, they are the conclusions derived from a logical progression from premises and assumptions. Finally, in Theology Fact is defined in terms of belief or faith. A Fact exists without the need for physical "proof". The subject matter of Theology is religion and the subject matter of religion involves the metaphysical, not the physical.

 

In Part 2 I want to discuss the fundamental assumptions that underpin Science. The Scientist's "Faith", if you will. These assumptions are part of the area of Philosophy called Epistemology.

 

Epistemology: As is the case for most concepts there are a variety of definitions; a reasonably common one is that epistemology is: The theory or science of the methods of and grounds of knowledge, especially with reference to its limits and validity. A simpler definition is that it studies "How do we know what we know"?

 

Epistemological Assumptions of Science:

 

-1. Induction is valid

-2. Deduction is valid

-3. The universe is orderly

-4. We can place confidence in the dependability of Scientific Observers.

-5. Science depends on Operational Definitions.

 

1. Induction is valid. Induction is the process of proceeding from a part of something to the understanding of the whole. From particulars to general statements. From Data to the production of Theories. From observations to explanations. Induction is a mental strategy that we use constantly in everyday life. We learn from simple experiences and assume that what we've learned holds for broader situations.

 

2. Deduction is valid. Deduction (the other mental strategy) follows the opposite path. We look at general theory and apply it to specific situations. From given premises to their necessary conclusions. From theory to predicting data.

 

3. An orderly universe. Scientists believe that no event is truly random. That events are set in motion by the presence or absence of other events in a deterministic fashion. This is expressed as the lawfulness of nature. So, if you drop something it will fall down, not fall up. Evaporation results in cooling, etc.

 

4. Confidence in the dependability of Scientific Observers. Their are really two beliefs here, one is that honesty in research is of vital importance. The worst sin in Science is to falsify data. Few people outside of Science realize the importantance of this moral demand. The second belief is that our sense organs are dependable. When we see things, or smell them, or touch them, they are really there. If we are unsure of the reliability of a single witness, we arrange for multiple witnesses. Some experiments are repeated just to verify previous observations.

 

5. Operational Definitions. An Operational Definition is a special kind of defintion that states how the concept being defined will be measured. The formal definition of an Operational Definition is: a definition that includes within itself all the operations necessary to measure the concept being defined. Thus, you can't study something unless you can measure it. And, you cannot use an entity to define itself. "Sleep is when you are sleeping" is a meaningless operational defintion of sleep. Philosophers like to use the following statement to describe this:

 

"Every statement in this sentence is false."

 

The have a name for this kind of logical fallacy - Vicious Circularity. Look at the sentence. If it is true then it must be false and if it is false then the sentence is true. The point is that if properly defined, a statement cannot be both TRUE and FALSE. The only way to avoid this fallacy is to make the definition refer to an external event.

 

Summary.

 

Taken together these five rules make up the basic belief system used by Scientists. They don't make up the entire basis of the belief system for either Philosophy or Theology.

 

Part 3 will move on to defining Facts, Laws, Theoriies and Hypotheses. In Science they are not interchangeable.