Difference between revisions of "Historical science"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m (fixing page reference) |
(adding text on abductive reasoning) |
||
| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
| year= 2008 | | year= 2008 | ||
| isbn = 978-0-06-147279-2 | | isbn = 978-0-06-147279-2 | ||
| − | | pages = 150 | + | | pages = 150-153 |
| url=http://books.google.no/books?id=RUGKBdKawDUC&dq=signature+in+the+cell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k4o9T-HHFaSF4gTYqpSSCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ | | url=http://books.google.no/books?id=RUGKBdKawDUC&dq=signature+in+the+cell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k4o9T-HHFaSF4gTYqpSSCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ | ||
| − | | quote= Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.}}</ref> | + | | quote= Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.}}</ref> Historical scientists use type of reasoning named [[abductive reasoning|abduction]].<ref name="Signature"/> |
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 22:11, March 7, 2012
Historical science aims to describe phenomena of the past and reconstruct their causes.[1]
When trying to explain past phenomena, historical scientists try to construct a set of hypotheses about the causes and then look for a so called "smoking gun", a piece of evidence which indicates that one of the hypotheses might be a better explanation than the others.[2][3] Historical scientists use type of reasoning named abduction.[3]
References
- ↑ Laudan, R. (1992). "What's so Special about the Past?", in Nitecki, M.H., and Nitecki, D.V.: History and Evolution. SUNY Press. ISBN 0791412113. Retrieved on 7 February 2010.
- ↑ Cleland, C.E. (September 2002). "Methodological and Epistemic Differences between Historical Science and Experimental Science" (PDF). Philosophy of Science 69: 474–496. http://spot.colorado.edu/~cleland/articles/Cleland.PS.Pdf. Retrieved 25.1.2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Meyer, Stephen C. (2008). Signature in the Cell. New York: HarperOne, 150-153. ISBN 978-0-06-147279-2. “Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.”