RSC2601 summaries STRATEGIES OF DISCOVERY

Document Content and Description Below

1.2.1 Tradition ○ We inherit a culture containing generally accepted knowledge ~ Knowledge is cumulative & we can learn from previous generations BUT Can be led into falsehood: ○ Thinking trad... itionally → don‟t find out how the knowledge was obtained in the first place → Source of knowledge is not questioned ○ Every scientific discipline is based on a tradition of thought 1.2.2 Authority ○ Accepting something as true because of the status of the person who discovered the truth. ○ Can help ~ The expert probably has experience & knows what he is talking about Can hinder ~ Can overestimate the person‟s expertise Experts can be wrong. 1.2.3 Mysticism and religion ○ Religious knowledge is based on the authority of sacred texts ○ Religion can offer meaning, but is not a reliable guide to the literal state of the world 1.2.4 Common sense ○ Ordinary reasoning ○ Relates to what people know intuitively/instinctively ○ Helpful → In everyday life, making decisions & solving problems. → Covers topics everyone knows about & so helps communication Downloaded by Jayden Mbugguz ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|8637614BUT ~contains illogical reasoning ~ Doesn‟t - systematically consider how ideas are related to each other - collect information systematically ~ Common sense often originates in tradition 1.2.5 Media myths ○ Mass media ~ Powerful influence on knowledge ~ Most people develop their knowledge from what they see, hear & read in the media ~ BUT its chief purpose is entertainment, not to accurately present reality ○ This leads to distorted information & errors 1.3 Errors in human inquiry and how scientists try to avoid them 1.3.1 Inaccurate observation ○ We need to know “what” before we can explain “why” ○ People tend to carelessness when observing everyday events ○ Scientific Observation ~ Contrasts with this in that it is a conscious activity ~ Deliberate ~ Both simple & complex measurement devices help prevent us from making inaccurate observations. [Show More]

Last updated: 1 year ago

Preview 1 out of 74 pages