What is knowledge? What is science? What is scientific?

What is knowledge ? What is science ? What is scientific

Science - An Overview

Information age

We live in the information age wherein knowledge is fairly accessible With the inception of Internet communications , finding what information we seek is as easy as "googling " or looking it up in Wikipedia . What would take a considerable time to procure in the old days , we now can get in lightning speed . But does the increase in availability of information mean that man 's knowledge has also increased

Inflationary use of science

The use of the

word "science " has come to mean systematic , accurate , or anything that has employed meticulous methodology

In an era where science is equated to "truth , many people , especially the purveyors of product marketing , have jumped on the use of the word science ' so that people would equate the positive connotation associated with it to the efficacy of their products . Phrases such as scientifically tested " or "clinically proven " have cropped up in just about any product you can think of

The early 19th century up to the mid 90 's saw a resurgence in the interest in science . Indeed , during this period , there were monumental advancements in the modern scientific arena . Wars , particularly the Second World War , were instrumental in advancing and improving various scientific endeavours

With science comes an implicit sense of authority and because of this authority , it is important that we are able to weed out the pseudoscientific from the scientific , the bad ' science from the good This is not an easy task , therefore it is necessary to establish and understand what science is and how it works

A Backgrounder on Scientific Paradigms

The definitions and the processes by which science ' is based on have evolved through time . Science of classical antiquity through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was characterized by scholasticism , wherein scientific reasoning is deductive in nature . Traditional Aristotelian logic employs a top-down ' principle where general facts or principles establish the conclusions . Deductive reasoning involves taking a general principle , and then deducing what will (or should ) happen in a particular instance

On the other hand , the modern age of science is punctuated by a change from this method to inductive reasoning , wherein multiple observations or experimentation give rise to generalizations . This is the fundamental principle by which modern science is founded - that is , facts and observations dictate the validity of the conclusion . Historians believe that this modern or new ' science began with the efforts of Copernicus , Johannes Kepler , Galileo Galilei , and Francis Bacon

The "New Science (Key figures and how they think scientific knowledge is attained

Francis Bacon

The Baconian method , developed by Francis Bacon , is one of the earliest forerunners of the scientific method . With induction and methodical experimentation , Bacon 's method was meant to replace the Aristotelian approach to scientific investigation . It underscores the importance of eschewing prejudice and preconceived notions , and highlights the importance of being an untainted observer in to truly comprehend one 's object of study

Rene Descartes and rationalism...