WEEK 8 - Introduction to philosophy of science

 

"Philosophy is the true mother of  science"

As mentioned in the quote above have you ever thought of the origin of "science' that we study today? To figure out this, it is important to look for history. There hasn't been a clear division between science and philosophy in the past. New branches of science started forming from philosophy. 

SCIENCE

Science is a complicated area of study which involves understanding natural phenomena and acquiring knowledge through observations and experimentation. Science mainly consist of natural sciences which include areas of Biology, chemistry and physics, social sciences and formal sciences that includes logic and mathematics is important to know how to deal with science while considering the consequences.

Science consist of collection of theories. These theories could be modified with light of new knowledge. Philosophy of science consist of two branches as epistemology and metaphysics [1]. Epistemology involves in answering questions related to knowledge. Metaphysics involve in answering questions related to "reality". Philosophy of science is not bound to give definite answers to questions related to science. Philosophy clarifies questions at it's best. These are some of the main goals of Philosophy of science....

• Clarifying questions from science
• Broadening questions by science, leading to discussions.
• Questioning ethical issues of scientific work 
• Defining limits between science and pseudoscience and setting limitations.

SCIENTIFIC METHODS

There are three main ways of approaching science [1]. These are empiricism, mathematical methods and social structure. These three ways can work individually or in coordination to assist scientific work. There are instances where all three ways are used in science practically. All three approaches combined together can improve the quality of scientific work. Think of a situation where you are asked to do a volumetric titration to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. You are required to observe the color change carefully. Color change will indicate where you need to stop the reaction. This is knowledge gained by experience – empiricism. You also need to carry out a mathematical procedure to get your final answer. You can compare your final calculation with the instructor’s calculation to confirm your answer. Thus, using all three methods will improve strength of scientific work.

REFERENCES

[1]    Godfrey-Smith, P., 2009. Theory and reality. University of Chicago Press.