Revision (content from lecture #3) Flashcards
Beliefs help us to understand the world and guide our actions BUT
Not all beliefs are equal
- -> Certain
- -> Less certain
More accurate beliefs have:
- better understanding of the world
- better predictions
Believing VS Knowing
How do we know that we know something?
- i think this belief is completely accurate
- I can explain to you the reasons or evidence that supports this belief
- -if either of these standards is not met, we would usually say that you do not really ‘know’
Believing VS Knowing
How do we evaluate the accuracy of beliefs?
Examine the reasons or evidence that supports them
- Ie. what is the justification
- Routinely check and revise beliefs
Knowledge and Truth
- Many of us are socialised to believe that knowledge and truth are absolute and unchanging
- Critical thinkers have a responsibility to engage actively in the learning process and participate in developing their own understanding of the world.
Why is there an active approach to knowing
Rarely is anything in science definitely ‘proven’
- Eg. researchers often publishing contrasting findings
What do we fo when experts disagree?
- Analyse and evaluate all available information
- Develop our own well reasoned beliefs
- Recognise when we don’t have sufficient information to arrive at a well reasoned belief
Evaluating the accuracy of beliefs:
How effectively do your beliefs explain what is taking place?
To what extent are the beliefs consistent with other beliefs you have about the world?
How effectively do your beliefs help you predict what will happen in the future?
To what extent are your beliefs supported by sound reasons and compelling evidence derived from reliable sources?
Falsifiability
Can you state conditions, or tests, under which the belief could be tested and even possibly disproved?
Example 1: I believe that if I place the milk in the fridge, it will become cold
This belief is falsifiable because I can conduct an experiment that could easily prove me wrong (i.e., placing milk in the fridge)
Example 2: I believe that my destiny is related to the positions of the planets and stars
This belief is impossible to falsify because you could not easily conduct an experiment to determine if this belief is accurate
Stages of knowing
Stage 1: the garden of eden
Stage 2: anything goes
Stage 3: thinking critically
Beliefs based on evidence
Authorities:
Are they knowledgeable and reliable in this area?
Written References:
What are the authors credentials? What evidence do they use?
(Is the evidence viable) (discussion uses results)
Factual Evidence:
What is the source of the information? Can the results be interpreted differently? Confounding variables?
(how have they generate the data? Correlational design?)
Personal Experience:
Are there alternate explanations or perspectives to consider?
Science
Process of understanding the world by developing testable theories with predictive power
Scientific Method
Observation - Hypothesis - Experiment - Data Analysis - Conclusions Modify theory, new hypothesis, modify experiment - Communicate results
Components of good science
Logical argument, based on facts and data
- Not opinions
- References given
Published in peer-reviewed journal articles
- Contrary information is given when it exists, not just supporting information
- What is not known is identified
Scientific Progress
- Cumulative growth of knowledge over time
- Existing theories retained, modified, abandoned
- New theories adopted
- Replicability
Scientific Reasoning (FiLCHeRS)
Falsifiability:
– Poses a hypothesis that could be disproved
Logic:
– Deductive reasoning
Comprehensiveness:
– Explains all relevant evidence
Honesty:
– Bias free
Replicability:
– Consistent results
Sufficiency:
- Burden of proof is on claimant
- Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence
- Appeals to authority inadequate
Pseudoscience
- Beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on the scientific method
- Claims without hard data or facts
