Empiricism Essay, Research Paper
I will explain in the following paper why I believe that realism and instrumentalism are erroneous approaches to science and why empiricism seems to be the more valid approach. I believe that truth is relative to language. The word theory in greek means to be in front of . Our science is limited by our language, because we use our language as a way to construct our world. We use our language and theories to paint over the world what we think exists and while we use that language to create that reality, we paint over other realitites , which we don t acknowledge, because we know no better. Scientific claims can be true in their own proper domain but they don t tell the whole story, or even that there is a whole story to tell. The distinguishing features of realism are twofold: realism seeks truth as a goal and when a realist accepts a theory it is accepted as true. So to argue realism would be to argue that no other realities have any causal effect on the observed phenomenon. There can be other truths different stories about the world each of which it may be proper to believe. I think its quite narcissistic, not to mention egotistical, to think that we know the totality of science to the extent that we think we re qualified to make such conjectures about the true nature of the world in which we live. Therefore, I consider realism to be an erroneous approach to science.
Before determining the validity of instrumentalism, I think we must look at history to help us determine science s overall purpose. I believe that science precipitates from an inner curiosity how about how the world works. I believe that after looking into the past, we can deduce that science has had a dual function: to explain observable or unobservable phenomenon and to help predict the outcome of our actions. For example, with the gravitational theory, at first we attempted to explain the motion of falling objects and then assuming that this force that we call gravity would stay relatively static, we could predict the outcome of other falling objects. Instrumentalist is a noble theory, but I don t believe it to be historically consistent with the aims of science as it was created.
Consequently I propose an empiricism approach to science. Empiricism takes empirical adequacy (not truth) as the goal of science and when it accepts a theory it accepts it as empirically adequate. Theories can be accepted by the accumulation of successful empirical tests. This leads to empirical generalizations among observable entities. As ideas progress, theories are formulated deductively to explain the generalizations, and new evidence is required to confirm or disconfirm the theory which may provide probabilistic support for its conclusion. Thus, science progresses through the accumulation of multiple confirming instances obtained under a wide variety of circumstances and conditions.
Empiricism avoids belief in favor of commitment. This involves commitment to working within the framework of the theory but not to believing in its literal truth. Empiricism carefully looks at particular scientific claims and procedures, and does not attach any general interpretive agenda to science.
Observation being theory laden does call into question the claim that science is securely anchored by the objective observation of “reality.” There’s general agreement that there can be no real certain knowledge, because we have no direct access to reality. The only thing we have is our senses and they are easily fooled and heavily biased by our human nature and previous beliefs. But since this is best means by which we can observe, and attempt to explain observable phenomena, it will have to suffice within the realm of our science and for the purpose which we have created. Unfortunately, sensory data is our only link to the world outside ourselves and since such sensory data is subjective in nature, the science that we have created is merely a representation our consensual perspective of the world and therefore empirically adequate.
Другие работы по теме:
What Can I Know Essay Research Paper
?What Can I Know?? Over history, the human race has striven for truth and understanding logic. When trying to understand this, a person approaches the philosophical question, ?What can I know?? With this philosophical question comes the epic battle between whether or not a person should base an opinion on empicism or rationalism.
Tony Essay Research Paper In Tony
Tony Essay, Research Paper In Tony’s Story, Leslie Marmon Silko uses Leon, Tony, and Teofilo to explain the genuine reality of the cop. The genuine reality of the cop is it is an “it,” standing for evil that brings drought to the Indian people.
God Essay Research Paper To say that
God Essay, Research Paper To say that God does exist, is to say that we can prove God exists by describing some proof we have of this statement, or at least a being with what we think some of the attributes of a God would be. Since we cannot prove beyond reasonable doubt that God exists we have to infer certain things about how we came to be.
Age Of Reason Essay Research Paper The
Age Of Reason Essay, Research Paper The age of reason was a time of Empiricism and of Materialism, which brought out philosophers like John Locke and George Berkeley as well as authors like Swift and Pope. These philosophers and authors belong to the Age of Reason because of their use of anti-emotional thought and the idea of Occam’s razor.
Native Son Essay Research Paper The title
Native Son Essay, Research Paper The title of the novel begins to explain Bigger’s situation; he is more a child of the city itself than of human parentage. His soul is as stunted as an undernourished plant whose blooms are destroyed before they can come to fruition. When he says, upon reading the paper “No! Jan didn’t help me! He didn’t have a damned thing to do with it! I — I did it!” (p.283) he is clinging to the act of violence he performed as an affirmation of self.
Henri BergsonAnalysis And Intuition Essay Research Paper
Analysis and Intuition Henri Bergson was a modern philosopher who merged empiricism with a bit of rationalism to become part of a new empiricism that held room for intuition and movement with a flux through time. He essentially refused science?s claim to explain the universe in mechanical conditions; instead he considered life an unending creation, a matter of change and time unlike something static.
Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Essay Research Paper Harrison
Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Essay, Research Paper Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Harrison’s Mother attempts to explain to Harrison why he must not try tobe better than anyone else. “Harrson, come here please, your Father and I want to talk to you for amoment.” He knew what it was about, his parents wanted to tell him why it’s not rightto be different from anyone else.
Criminal Justice Essay Research Paper In this
Criminal Justice Essay, Research Paper In this paper I will attempt to explain how the United States Criminal Justice System and Ireland has some different characteristics. They both share some of the same practices in each system. I will give a brief history of both countries and the way their system works.
Pele Essay Research Paper Little is known
Pele Essay, Research Paper Little is known about the origin of soccer. The modern game is very different from it’s accent origins this paper will explore those origins and show how modern day soccer evolved.
Aliens Essay Research Paper Aliens
Aliens Essay, Research Paper Aliens What are aliens? There are illegal aliens. Their are UFO aliens. You have to ask yourself one question, do you think there could be intelligent life
American Revolution Essay Research Paper Q
American Revolution Essay, Research Paper Q: Explain why Japan reacted to western ideas by adopting a policy of isolation. How did this reaction to outside influences effect Japans development over the next few centuries.
Poem Breaking Me Essay Research Paper Breaking
Poem: Breaking Me Essay, Research Paper Breaking Me Everyday, I see your face, I wish that you?d stayed Don?t even know what made you run away It?s just the way, that you play the game
John Locke 2 Essay Research Paper John
John Locke 2 Essay, Research Paper John Locke (1632-1704) John Locke was born at Wrington, a village in Somerset, on August 29, 1632. He entered Westminster school in 1646, and passed to Christ Church, Oxford, as a junior student, in 1652. The official studies of the university were uncongenial to him; he would have preferred to learn philosophy from Descartes instead of from Aristotle.
Time Travel Essay Research Paper The Twins
Time Travel Essay, Research Paper The Twins Paradox uses Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity to explain that time travel is possible. Let’s say two twins are on Earth. They are both twenty years old. One leaves in a spaceship. She is gone for sixty years. When she returns the twin that remained on Earth is eighty years old, she on the other hand appears to be about thirty.
Once Upon A Time When We Were
Colored Essay, Research Paper Once Upon a Time When we were Colored is a very good book. I will summarize the events in this book in the next few paragraphs. I will explain Uncle Cleve s personality and the author. I will also explain the prejudice in this book.
Assuming No Pollution Explain Why A Road
Is Only An Example Of Market Failure When It Is Congested. Essay, Research Paper Assuming no pollution, explain why a road is only an example of market failure when it is congested.
PlatoS Rejection Of Empiricism Paradox Essay Research
Paper One consequence of this view is Plato?s rejection of empiricism, the claim that knowledge is derived from sense experience. However, when one examines the scene in the Meno between Socrates and the slave boy in greater depth, one can see the flaws in this paradox. Plato uses Socrates? experiment, in which he draws one of Meno?s slaves out from the gathered crowd and proceeds to demonstrate the theory of recollection using geometry; however, this experiment?s purpose tests the credulity of the reader; and in some cases Socrates? questions are blatantly leading.One consequence of this view is Plato?s rejection of empiricism, the claim that knowledge is derived from sense experience.
Critical Fiction Questions Essay Research Paper 1What
Critical Fiction Questions Essay, Research Paper 1.What kind of Narrator tells the story? Is the Narrator’s information reliable? Of you think the Narrator is not reliable, explain why and what the author’s purpose would be for using an unreliable Narrator.
Miller Spring Essay Essay Research Paper Miller
Miller Spring Essay Essay, Research Paper Miller Springs Essay My science class and I went to Miller Springs to learn about sediments and nature a few days ago. The good and bad sides of the trip I will explain below.
Your Late Essay Research Paper Your late
Your Late Essay, Research Paper Your late, what’s your excuse this time? No, no I don’t want to hear it you can tell me later in detention, sound familiar? Well to half the students in my school it does. That was the usual answer that teachers distribute when students are late to class, which is permissible, but what about what about when your late to home room? Well before you answer that let me explain to you what home room is.
Government Essay Research Paper 2 We know
Government Essay, Research Paper 2. We know that the fundamental difference between ancient political science and modern political science has to do with the relationship of the individual to the state. For Aristotle, a person was an inherently political animal. For modern political philosophers (social contract theorists), individual rights existed prior to the formation of government.
Big Bang Essay Research Paper Before The
Big Bang Essay, Research Paper Before The Big Bang Every since scientists came up with an idea of how the universe started and was created, through the Big Bang, there has always been discussion and questioning on what the universe was, before it was created. Was there nothing because there was no time and no God, or was there something we haven t discovered yet.
Effective Business Communication Essay Research Paper Effective
Effective Business Communication Essay, Research Paper Effective business communication is an essential component in today’s commerce. Without it, there can be little if any cohesion among employees, management and consumers. In order to establish this basis of communication within the workplace, employers have to abandon their supervisory egos in exchange for an atmosphere of openness, encouragement and teamwork.
Gene Mutation Essay Research Paper Define Gene
Gene Mutation Essay, Research Paper Define Gene Mutation A change in the base sequence of a gene Outline the difference between an insertion and a deletion Explain the consequence of a base substitution mutation in relation to the