Philosophy of Science
What is Science?
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What is science? This is a very reasonable question, but unfortunately it isn't easy to provide a simple, definitive answer because there is no entity with the authority to define science. Coming up with a proper definition of science is not unlike coming up with a proper definition of other human institutions, like religion or family: there is so much going on that long, complex books are written in an effort to explain it all - and still people disagree.
In a real sense, however, science is what scientists do. Although there are disagreements among scientists and philosophers of science on the finer points of what actually constitutes science, many of the broader issues are usually agreed upon.
Defining Science
What is science? What isn't science? An attempt to develop a reasonable and understandable definition of science, relying upon the methods of science and what distinguishes science from other pursuits.Philosophy of Science
The Philosophy of Science is concerned with, obviously enough, science - specifically, how science operates, what the goals of science should be, what relationship science should have with the rest of society, the differences between science and other activities, etc. Everything that happens in science has some relationship with the Philosophy of Science and is predicated upon some philosophical position, even though that may be rarely evident.What is the Scientific Method?
What is the scientific method? How does science operate? A description of how science can proceed and how scientists develop and justify reliable knowledge claims about the word - at least ideally.Scientific Theories
What are scientific theories? What makes an idea scientific? An explanation of the various logical, empirical, sociological, historical and even legal criteria used to define science and scientific theories.Scientific Laws
What is a law of science? Do scientific laws mean that there is a lawgiver? Does science deal with truth and facts or just theories? An attempt to explain what scientific laws and truths are about.Hypotheses, Theories and Facts
In science, what is the difference between a hypothesis, a theory and a fact? Is a hypothesis the same as a theory or just a more tenative theory? When can theories be effectively the same as a fact?Technology and Religion, Technology as Religion
Common thinking among secularists and nonbelievers of various sorts tends to be that religion and science are fundamentally incompatible. This incompatibility is also imagined to extend to the relationship between religion and technology, since technology is so often a product of science and science cannot proceed without technology, especially today. But it can be argued that promoting technology is often caused by religious impulses.
Lance F. contributed information for this FAQ entry.
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