2. rational reconstruction program

8/3/2019 2. Rational Reconstruction Program

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Lecture Two

The Rational Reconstruction Program of Science

Jeremiah Joven Joaquin

Science, Technology and Society 1

2T 2011-2012


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The Demarcation Problem (again)

Can we distinguish, in aprincipledway,

between sciences, on the one hand, and non-

sciences and pseudosciences, on the other

hand?


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Science, Non-science and

Pseudoscience

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Social Sciences

Literature

Arts

Astrology

Alchemy

Teleology


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Alternatively,

What, if any, is the special mark which

distinguishes science from other disciplines?

What characterizes science?


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Science textbooks tell us that

In doing science, scientists first observes, then

he formulates a problem concerning his

observation. He thinks out a possible

explanation, or hypothesis, which he then

tests with experiments. The experiments then

prove or disprove his hypothesis, and if it is

proved, he can state a law.


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Wikipedia tells us that (lol)

Science is a systematic enterprise that builds

and organizes knowledge in the form of

testable explanations and predictions about

the universe

Actually this comes from the Oxford English

Dictionary


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Lets break it down

Science is a systematic enterprise

it correlates many separate facts in a logical

structure of thought


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and organizes knowledge

it suggests some new relations between old and

new facts


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testable explanations and predictions

its claims and predictions could be verified

through experiments and observation


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testable explanations and predictions about

the universe

it is about known or unknown physical facts.


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Science

correlates many separate (physical) facts in a

logical, easily grasped structure of thought.

suggests new relations between old and new

facts.

permits us to deduce predictions that

actually check with experience by test, and it

is useful for solving long-standing puzzles

and quantitative problems


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From these features, we could

somehow see a method of science

Gathering information: direct or instrument-aidedobservation, measurement, case studies, fieldstudies, experiments

Organizing gathered information: classifications,

measurement scales, models, theories, paradigms Alternative modes of organization: refinement,

reduction, replacement

Accounting phenomena: explanation, prediction,

control Data enhancement/extrapolation: evidence,

confirmation, falsification, hypothesis testing


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Some more ideas about science

A successful scientific theory has simple and few

assumptions (i.e. it is parsimonious).

These assumptions are in accord with current

well-established principles (i.e. they are inter-subjectivelyacceptable).

It accommodates modifications and revisions (i.e.

a discipline is scientific iff it is flexible).


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Scientific Method Inductive

Deduction

Conclusions follow

logically from the

premises

From general claims we

derive particular claims

Induction

Conclusions follow with

high probability from the

premises

From particular claims

we derive general claims


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The Logical Empiricists (Positivists) and

the Rational Reconstruction Program

Logical Empiricism aimed at justifying the

epistemic claims of science by reconstructing

how science works.

Two important concepts to note here:

Empiricism = the idea that all knowledge comes

from experience

Logic = the belief that formal systems could helpin understanding how science works


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Logical Empiricism and Verifiability

Logical Empiricists were scientifically-oriented

thinkers, and they thought that what makes science

special is that there is a special principle behind it.

The Principle of Verifiability Meaningful statements are the main objects of scientific

discourse; they are statements which contain a proposition

(they could either be true or false)

Meaning is determined by a given mode of verification Logic = Analytical statements (necessarily true)

Experiments = Empirical statements (contingently true)


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Logical Empiricism and

what counts as science

Only empirical statements count as scientific

statements

Observation statements could be translated

into a theoretical statement such that the

latter will be part of a theory

A theory is scientific if the theoretical

statements are based from the observation

statements


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So again, science

correlates many separate (physical) facts in a

logical, easily grasped structure of thought.

suggests new relations between old and new

facts.

permits us to deduce predictions that

actually check with experience by test, and it

is useful for solving long-standing puzzles

and quantitative problems


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And yet again, we see the method

Gathering information: direct or instrument-aidedobservation, measurement, case studies, fieldstudies, experiments

Organizing gathered information: classifications,

measurement scales, models, theories, paradigms Alternative modes of organization: refinement,

reduction, replacement

Accounting phenomena: explanation, prediction,

control Data enhancement/extrapolation: evidence,

confirmation, falsification, hypothesis testing


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Poppers criticism

Lets consider Poppers criticism of the Logical

Empiricists picture of science

What conclusions did Popper arrive at?

And how do they relate to the rational

reconstruction program of the logical

empiricists?


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END

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