What is this thing called Science? - A.E Chalmers

Summary of What is this thing called Science? - A.E Chalmers

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Does knowledge consist of facts that have come from experience? - Chapter 1

What is the common sense view of science?

In the first four chapters of this book, the statement "science is derived from facts" is critically analyzed. Throughout the book, this statement's meaning changes slightly. Facts are statements about the world that can be sensed. Facts are neither personal opinions nor speculative ideas. If the world is perceived accurately and without prejudice, the facts that are established are, therefore, a reliable and objective basis for science. Scientific knowledge is reliable and objective if the facts guide conclusive reasoning to laws and theories that make up the basis for scientific knowledge. Before the 17th century, science was primarily based on authorities such as the Bible and Aristotle. Due to people like Galileo, this idea changed in the 17th century. People started to see observation as the basis of science.

Empirists (such as Berkeley, Locke, and Hume) and positivists held the idea that we can see facts as

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Is observation a practical intervention? - Chapter 2

Perception: passive and private or active and public?

Passive perception is the view that one only has to open one's eyes or just look at something to see. This is a private matter because the meaning is interpreted for oneself. This is an unreliable conception of perception. Observation takes place actively in daily life. People often have to make an effort to observe. This is done, for example, by accommodating the eyes or listening 'sharply' with the ears. A person who perceives actively performs all kinds of actions; many automatically and unconsciously to determine whether an observation is valid. Even if someone looks at something, but is not sure whether he sees it through a glass window or if the image he sees is reflected in that glass, he will show active behavior to investigate whether or not that image is a reflection. Tools can be used to prevent perception from

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What is the role of experiments in science? - Chapter 3

What is the meaning of relevant facts?

Reliable facts can be established by careful use of the senses. Science does not need 'just' facts, but relevant facts. These facts should come to us in the form of experimental results and not as observable facts - a large number of facts that can be determined by observation are totally irrelevant to science. If experimental results represent the facts on which science relies, they certainly have not come to us simply through the senses. Experimental results are fallible, can be updated or replaced, can be out of date, rejected or may be ignored. Outdated experimental results can be rejected and replaced with new ones. This has major implications for the orthodox philosophy of science because it undermines the widespread notion that science is based on certain grounds.

Which facts are relevant to science and which are not, depends on the current state of development of

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What does induction mean? - Chapter 4

Preface

The first chapters deal with the fact that scientific knowledge is derived from facts, how these facts can be established and its criticisms. This chapter deals with the derivation of theory and science from those facts. The interpretation that scientific knowledge is formed by first establishing the facts and then establishing the corresponding theory has been shown to be incorrect. In this chapter, we will explore how to interpret the concept of 'derive' into a more logical meaning instead of a temporal/physical one. It is important to determine to what extent the facts confirm the theory. The statement that theory can be derived logically from facts cannot hold. This becomes clear as we consider some basic characteristics of logical reasoning.

What does baby logic mean?

Logic is about establishing facts that should logically follow from other facts. If the premises are true, then the conclusion must also be true. This would then be a logically

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Studyguide with What is this thing called Science? by Chalmers - 2023/2024

Study guide with What is this thing called Science?

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