1: Chapters
- Page ID
- 52093
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- 1.1: Introduction
- The text explores the evolution of scientific theories explaining planetary motion. From ancient Greek "wandering stars" to Aristotelian natural philosophy and Newton's universal gravitation, the narrative traces the development of thought culminating in Einstein's theory of general relativity. It reflects on how scientific communities' theories or "mosaics" change over time.
- 1.2: Absolute Knowledge
- This text explores the distinction between analytic and synthetic propositions and their implications for knowledge certainty in science. Analytic propositions, true by definition, are consistent and can achieve absolute certainty. In contrast, synthetic propositions, dependent on sensory experience and observations, cannot be definitively proven due to three major issues: the reliability of sensations, the problem of induction, and the theory-ladenness of observations.
- 1.3: Scientific Method
- The chapter addresses the inherent fallibility of synthetic propositions and empirical theories, emphasizing that no empirical theory can be proven beyond doubt. It explores how despite their fallibility, some theories are considered better than others over time. The chapter introduces three epistemic stances towards theories???acceptance, use, and pursuit???and discusses how scientific communities evaluate theories for acceptance.
- 1.4: The Laws of Scientific Change
- The text explores the dynamic nature of scientific theories and methods, questioning whether a universal mechanism governs changes in scientific mosaics. It distinguishes between "generalism," which sees patterns in these changes, and "particularism," which views changes as unique and complex. It discusses reasons for particularism's popularity, including the historical failure of general theories and the adaptability of scientific methods.
- 1.5: Scientific Progress
- The text delves into the evolution of scientific theories, questioning their ability to describe both observable and unobservable aspects of the world. It contrasts scientific realism, which posits that theories describe real entities and processes, with instrumentalism, viewing them as mere tools without necessarily representing reality. The text explores subtypes of realism like entity and structural realism but critiques their historical accuracy.
- 1.6: Science and Non-Science
- The text explores the demarcation problem in philosophy, which seeks to delineate science from non-science and pseudoscience. It discusses the importance of distinguishing between them in various fields such as policy-making, courts, healthcare, and education. The piece examines characteristics of scientific theories, emphasizing testability and falsifiability, and acknowledges that demarcation criteria have evolved over time.
- 1.7: Aristotelian-Medieval Worldview
- The text explores the relevance of studying past scientific worldviews, emphasizing historical context and understanding scientific change. It outlines key aspects of the Aristotelian-Medieval worldview, including its natural philosophy of elements, geocentric cosmology, humoral physiology, and its acceptance of astrology. Also discussed are the era's scientific methods, which prioritized intuition schooled by experience over experimentation and mathematical modeling.
- 1.8: Cartesian Worldview
- The text explores the intellectual revolution of the 17th century, highlighting Ren?? Descartes as a pivotal figure in transitioning from the Aristotelian-Medieval worldview to the Cartesian worldview. Descartes challenged Aristotelian views with his Cartesian mosaic, which comprised mechanistic metaphysics, physics, cosmology, and a philosophical method. Key ideas included mechanical philosophy, mind-body dualism, and action by contact.
- 1.9: Newtonian Worldview
- Chapter 4 explored the mosaic split theorem, which posits that the acceptance of two incompatible theories can lead to a split in a scientific mosaic. Around 1700, the Aristotelian-Medieval mosaic split as the Cartesian and Newtonian theories both gained traction. The Newtonian worldview, first embraced in Britain, spread to Europe by 1740 due to the success of Newtonian physics.
- 1.10: Contemporary Worldview
- The Contemporary worldview, emerging since the 1920s, integrates modern scientific theories across fields like neuroscience, quantum mechanics, and cosmology. It recognizes that accepted theories, like those of the Higgs boson and human genome mapping, are mutable with advances in knowledge. The text explores relationships between mind and matter, with perspectives like dualism and materialism, and discusses how cognitive neuroscience rejects substance dualism.
- 1.11: Worldviews- Metaphysical Components
- The text explores the concept of a scientific mosaic, which encompasses the collective theories and methods accepted and employed by a scientific community. While individual elements within a mosaic remain relatively stable, the mosaic itself is in constant flux due to ongoing research and discoveries. Changes to a mosaic can affect the community's worldview, defined by its metaphysical components, but not all changes lead to a fundamental shift in worldview.