Philosophy of science
Channel: the aleatoric learning channel
Date: 17/09/2021

In addition to these general questions about science as a whole, philosophers of science consider problems that apply to particular sciences. An area of study or speculation that masquerades as science in an attempt to claim a legitimacy that it would not otherwise be able to achieve is referred to as pseudoscience, fringe science, or junk science. Nicholas Maxwell has argued for some decades that unity rather than simplicity is the key non-empirical factor in influencing choice of theory in science, persistent preference for unified theories in effect committing science to the acceptance of a metaphysical thesis concerning unity in nature. Should science aim to determine ultimate truth, or are there questions that science cannot answer? Scientific realists claim that science aims at truth and that one ought to regard scientific theories as true, approximately true, or likely true. Feminist philosophers of science, sociologists of science, and others explore how social values affect science. Stanley Sobottka said, "The assumption of external reality is necessary for science to function and to flourish. For the most part, science is the discovering and explaining of the external world." "Science attempts to produce knowledge that is as universal and objective as possible within the realm of human understanding." that Nature has uniformity of laws and most if not all things in nature must have at least a natural cause. A broad issue affecting the neutrality of science concerns the areas which science chooses to explore, that is, what part of the world and of humankind are studied by science. In addition to addressing the general questions regarding science and induction, many philosophers of science are occupied by investigating foundational problems in particular sciences. What criteria should be used to determine whether a given public policy is beneficial for society? The philosophy of social science is the study of the logic and method of the social sciences, such as sociology and political science. Philosophy of science at PhilPapers Philosophy of science at the Indiana Philosophy Ontology Project "Philosophy of science".