Philosophy of Science Week 1 Flashcards
What is Philosophy?
A way of thinking about the world, universe, and society and it works by asking basic questions about human thought, the nature of the universe etc
5 Important Features of scientific knowledge
GCO PR
1. Generalisability: explain and understand a range of phenomena
2. Controllability: research needs to be repeatable and transparent
3. Objectivity: needs to be independent of external influences
4. Parsimony: the simplest explanation is the most powerful one, as more comprehensible, clarity
5. Recognised methods: Knowledge must consist of justified correct beliefs
2 major Misconceptions about Scientific Research
- Only Empirical Research counts as Scientific Research:
Empirical research uses methods such as surveys, interviews, and questionnaires.
The core value of the research DOES NOT lie in the statistical analysis but CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS is just as important as the collection of data and the evaluation (eg theoretical concepts–> INTANGIBLE such as organisation or the market require philosophical thinking and logic to understand their meaning) - Scientific Research is only descriptive, not prescriptive or normative:
It’s not about how things should be but about how things are
In management science, knowledge is prescriptive.
Normative judgments/beliefs are subjective.
Scientists are looking for the truth in both the actual and the normative sense
Causality
Explaining an outcome Y in terms of the necessary conditions X for Y to take place
-Causality has a strong connection with determinism
-The ontology that if we knew all the laws of nature and their initial conditions then we would predict the future
Counterfactual understanding of causation:
- An outcome Y caused by X (ONLY IF X HAD OCCURRED Y WOULD HAVE ALSO OCCURRED)
-The lab experiment epistemologically operationalises this in behavioural research
Types of Explanations
- Causal (Natural Science, Animals)
- Functional (Organic Matters, biology)
- Intentional (Social Sciences, human behavior)
The good reason of truth model
Claim–> TRUE= only if Arguments in favor> Arguments against (sometimes only one conclusive reason is enough to support the claim)
What is the Argumentum ad ignorantiam
Believe something is true cause there is no proof for the opposite (eg Believing in God)
Petitio Principii
When trying to prove a claim which is secretly taken for granted
The False Dilemma Fallacy
When there is a choice set to pick but other choices are omitted. So by picking one you falsely accept that these are the only choices
Fallacies
are defects in an argument that cause it to be invalid or weak
Two basic philosophical concepts
Ontology (study of existence)
eg. Are money, firms and markets as real as water is?
and Epistemology (study of knowledge)
eg. Are functional explanations valid?
Realism VS Idealism
Idealism assumes that all-natural phenomena are ideas/mental representations that we project into reality. Idealists believe that phenomena/objects can only exist if they are observed or experienced
Realism assumes that phenomena/objects are independent of the observers and reality is already formed
Immanuel Kant- Kantian realism and pre-shaped observation
Kant’s position was of epistemological nature.
Kant thought that reality even existed without observations.
What is the concept of ecumenical
We require several ways to categorize and conceptualize the social reality.
As the best way to study reality depends on the purpose of the study.
In which 2 fundamental theories can the empirical evidence (epistemological view) be found?
- Positive Theory
- ambition to explain the world AS IT IS BASED ON FACTS
- explicit POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS towards the world
-WORLD-TO-THEORY direction of fit - Normative Theory
-ambition to explain the world AS IT SHOULD BE
-explicit NORMATIVE EXPECTATIONS towards the world
-THEORY-TO-WORLD direction of fit
