Summary Of "What Is That Thing Called Science?" By Alan Chalmers: UNIVERSITY SUMMARIES

By MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

We have summarized the essentials of the following chapters: "Inductivism: Science As Knowledge Derived From The Facts Of Experience", "The Problem Of Induction", "Observation Depends On Theory", among others. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU
• Release date: Oct 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201414573

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Mauricio Enrique Fau nació en Buenos Aires en 1965. Se recibió de Licenciado en Ciencia Política en la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Cursó también Derecho en la UBA y Periodismo en la Universidad de Morón. Realizó estudios en FLACSO Argentina. Docente de la UBA y AUTOR DE MÁS DE 3.000 RESÚMENES de Psicología, Sociología, Ciencia Política, Antropología, Derecho, Historia, Epistemología, Lógica, Filosofía, Economía, Semiología, Educación y demás disciplinas de las Ciencias Sociales. Desde 2005 dirige La Bisagra Editorial, especializada en técnicas de estudio y materiales que facilitan la transición desde la escuela secundaria a la universidad. Por intermedio de La Bisagra publicó 38 libros. Participa en diversas ferias del libro, entre ellas la Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires y la FIL Guadalajara.

Book preview

Summary Of What Is That Thing Called Science? By Alan Chalmers

UNIVERSITY SUMMARIES

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Published by BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU, 2021.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

SUMMARY OF WHAT IS THAT THING CALLED SCIENCE? BY ALAN CHALMERS

First edition. October 13, 2021.

Copyright © 2021 MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

ISBN: 979-8201414573

Written by MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chalmers, Alan | WHAT IS THAT THING CALLED SCIENCE?

Sign up for MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU's Mailing List

Further Reading: Summary Of Introduction To Sociology By Tom Bottomore

Also By MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

About the Author

About the Publisher

Chalmers, Alan

WHAT IS THAT THING CALLED SCIENCE?

CHAPTER 1 INDUCTIVISM : SCIENCE AS KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM THE FACTS OF EXPERIENCE

1- A widely shared common sense opinion on science

The scientific revolution produced in the seventeenth century by Galileo and Newton changed the way man relates to the world. No longer would God or the writings of Aristotle be the sources for knowing nature, but EXPERIENCE.

2- Naive inductivism

According to INGENUOUS INDUCTIVISM science begins with observation through the senses. The observational statements that are reached form the basis from which the laws and theories that constitute scientific knowledge are derived. For this, it uses SINGULAR STATEMENTS that refer to a certain fact or state of affairs in a certain place and time. It also uses GENERAL STATEMENTS that express statements about the properties of some aspect of the universe. They refer to all events of a certain type in all places and times. The laws and theories that make up scientific knowledge are called UNIVERSAL STATEMENTS.

CHALMERS: REQUIREMENTS TO GENERALIZE FROM A FINITE LIST OF STATEMENTS

• The number of observational statements that form the basis of a generalization must be large

• Observations must be repeated under a wide variety of conditions

• No accepted observational statement should contradict the derived universal law

NAIVE INDUCTIVISM IS based on the INDUCTION PRINCIPLE: If a large number of A is observed under a wide variety of conditions and if all observed A's possess property B without exception, then all A's have property B. Growth of science is continuous, always on the rise, as the pool of observational data increases.

GENERAL SCHEME OF INDUCTION

FACTS ACQUIRED THROUGH OBSERVATION  INDUCTION  LAWS AND THEORIES  DEDUCTION  PREDICTIONS AND EXPLANATIONS

3- LOGIC AND DEDUCTIVE reasoning

IF THE PREMISES OF A LOGICALLY VALID DEDUCTION ARE TRUE, THEN THE CONCLUSION MUST BE TRUE.

But logic and deduction alone cannot establish the truth of factual statements. The only thing that logic can offer in this regard is that, if the premises are true, the conclusion will be true. But whether the premises are true or not is not a question that can be resolved by appealing to logic, since deduction deals with the derivation of statements from other given statements.

4- Prediction and explanation in inductivism

FOR AN INDUCTIVIST, THE SOURCE OF TRUTH IS NOT LOGIC, BUT EXPERIENCE. ONCE CERTAIN STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY OBSERVATION AND INDUCTION, A PREDICTION MAY BE DEDUCTED FROM THEM

LAWS AND THEORIES (derived from observations)

Initial conditions

Predictions and explanations

5- The charm of naive inductivism

Its appeal seems to lie in the fact that it provides a formalized explanation of some of the popular impressions of the character of science, its explanatory and predictive power, its objectivity, and its superior reliability compared to other forms of knowledge.

The objectivity of inductivist science stems from the fact that no subjective personal element is allowed to intrude. Inductivists maintain that THE OBSERVATIONAL STATEMENTS THAT FORM THE BASIS OF SCIENCE ARE SAFE AND RELIABLE BECAUSE THEIR TRUTH CAN BE DETERMINED BY MAKING DIRECT USE OF THE SENSES.

CHAPTER 2 THE INDUCTION PROBLEM

1- Can the induction principle be justified?

The principle of induction would be justified if inductive arguments also possessed it, but it is not. Inductive argumentations are not logically valid since it is possible that the conclusion of an inductive argumentation is false and that its premises are true, without implying a contradiction.

INDUCTION CANNOT BE JUSTIFIED ON A LOGICAL BASIS. The argumentation that tries to justify the induction is circular, since it uses the same type of inductive argumentation whose validity is supposed to