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Philosophy of science (view source)
Revision as of 17:23, October 19, 2008
, 17:23, October 19, 2008→Assumptions of science
* Parsimony: The idea that the best idea is the idea which requires the fewest assumptions to explain the observations at issue;
* Parsimony: The idea that the best idea is the idea which requires the fewest assumptions to explain the observations at issue;
* Theory-dependence: The idea that all observations depend on theoretical assumptions to frame and understand the observation;
* Theory-dependence: The idea that all observations depend on theoretical assumptions to frame and understand the observation;
====Materialism and science====
Some argue that materialism -- or the belief that nothing can be proven to exist except matter -- is an essential assumption of science. However, this assumption is false for two reasons:
* Materialism has been scientifically disproven; matter has been proven to be a mere configuration of energy, and many other configurations of energy have no corresponding material reality;
* The belief in the existence of matter ''and'' the existence of X does not preclude one from studying matter. In other words, one's ability to observe and study the material world does not require one to deny the existence of any other, non-material reality;
=== What is science? ===
=== What is science? ===