Philosophy 150 Science and Human Culture Aug 20

1
Philosophy 150 Science and Human CultureAug 20

• Announcements
• Reading
• Kosso pp. 8-26
• Kitcher pp. 3-11
• Quiz 1 next Wed

2
What is Science?

• What are the goals/products of science?
• Are there other human endeavors that have these
  same goals?
• Is there a difference between Science and these
  other endeavors?
• Science is (supposedly) objective, methodical,
  empirical, repeatable, open

3
What is Science?

• Science the Process -
• The particular methodological practices that lead
  to the production of scientific knowledge.
• Science the Institution -
• The collection of individuals and collective
  entities that engage in (are necessary for) the
  production of scientific knowledge.

4
The Role of Theories in Science

• General Public (common usage)
• Theory an idea, an opinion, a speculation an
  unsubstantiated guess or a hunch .
• Scientific Theory
• Theories are the primary products of science.
• Theory explanation, or model of the manner of
  interaction of a set of natural phenomena,
  capable of predicting future occurrences or
  observations of the same kind.
• Scientific Knowledge Theory
• Theories explain our empirical experience of the
  universe.
• All good science is just theory.

5
An Historical Example

• Ignaz Semmelweis 1818-1865
• Surgeon at Vienna Hospital 1844-1848
• Studied deaths from Childbed Fever (Puerperal
  Fever)

6
The Scientific Process Part 1 Context of
Discovery

• Start with Observation and Data Collection
• Women died of Childbed Fever at a much higher
  rate in the First Division than in the Second
  Division.
• Collect data on background conditions
• Treatment
• Diet
• Environment

7
The Scientific Process Part 1 Context of
Discovery

• Generate Possible Hypotheses based on existing
  well-established theories and background
  observations
• Epidemic Influences
• Atmospheric-cosmic Changes
• Over Crowding
• Diet
• Psychological Factors
• Priests
• Differences in Treatment
• Lateral vs Supine Delivery
• Contamination by Cadaveric Material

8
The Scientific Process (Pos)Part 2 Context of
Justification

• Altering the hypothetical causal pathway (while
  holding all else the same) alters the outcome.
• Hypothesis explains many observations
• Conclusion - Contamination with Cadaveric
  Material causes the womens vital force to
  weaken, leading to death.

9
Theories and Truth

• What is the relationship between being
  Theoretical and being True?
• A good theory maybe either true or false.
• There are good theories that turn out to be false
• Two ways of evaluating a theory
• Is it a good theory?
• Is it well supported by the evidence? Is it
  true?
• Facts are just very well supported theories
• Facts may also be simple observations or
  measurements

10
Hypotheses, Theories, and Laws

• Theories come with differing degrees of
  confidence corresponding to differing degrees of
  confirmation.
• Hypothesis Theory

More evidence
11
The Nature of Theories

• Science gives us an account of the unseen causal
  structure behind our experiences of the world.
• Why do helium filled balloons rise?
• Why do whales have hips?
• Why does the temperature of a sealed container
  rise when you squeeze it?

12
The Nature of Theories

• Theories tell us about things we cannot directly
  experience
• Causal structure is not usually visible
• Too far away in space or time
• Theories can be general or specific
• They can apply to all things (gravity)
• Or to things of a specific kind (all green plants)

13
Theories always come in bundles

• Internal Principles -
• Invoke unseen causal structures (entities or
  forces)
• Kinetic Energy
• Electrons
• Genes
• Bacteria
• Bridge Principles (Imaging Theories)
• Link unobservable entities to observable
  phenomena
• Kinetic Energy..Motion
• Electrons visible trails in gas chambers or
  measurements on voltage meters
• Genes.Inheritance
• Bacteria.Disease symptoms or visible images in
  microscopes