Difference between revisions of "Historical science"
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| pages = 150-153 | | 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> Historical scientists use type of reasoning named [[abductive reasoning|abduction]] | + | | quote= Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.}}</ref> Historical scientists commonly use the type of reasoning named [[abductive reasoning|abduction]]<ref name="Signature"/>, inference to the best explanation and argument from analogy.<ref name="LENNOX">{{cite book |
| + | |author=John C. Lennox | ||
| + | |title=God's undertaker. Has science buried God? | ||
| + | |publisher=Lion Hudson | ||
| + | |location=Oxford, England | ||
| + | |year=2009 | ||
| + | |pages=204 | ||
| + | |url= | ||
| + | |isbn=978-0-7459-5371-7 | ||
| + | |quote=}}</ref> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 18:48, March 8, 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 commonly use the type of reasoning named abduction[3], inference to the best explanation and argument from analogy.[4]
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.”
- ↑ John C. Lennox (2009). God's undertaker. Has science buried God?. Oxford, England: Lion Hudson, 204. ISBN 978-0-7459-5371-7.