4 Flashcards
(13 cards)
How did falsification advance scientific knowledge?
For centuries, people believed the sun revolved around the earth until Copernicus disproved this theory. Now it is widely believed that the earth revolves around the sun.
What does Merton’s CUDOS stand for?
C: communism, U: universalism, D: disinterestedness, O: organised, S: scepticism
What is organised scepticism according to Merton?
The belief that knowledge claims are regarded as ‘sacred’. Every idea is open to questioning, criticism, and objective investigation.
How does Polyani describe science?
Science could be described as a closed system where belief systems reject alternative worldviews.
What is an example of a closed belief system?
Creationists disregard evolutionists’ knowledge and claim that the Earth is billions of years old and species have evolved, rather than all have been created.
What was Dr. Velikovsky’s contribution to science?
In 1950, Dr. Velikovsky published ‘Worlds in Collision’, challenging fundamental assumptions of geology, astronomy, and evolutionary biology.
How did the scientific community react to Dr. Velikovsky’s theory?
The scientific community rejected the theory and victimised any scientists who called for a fair hearing.
What is a paradigm according to Kuhn?
A set of shared assumptions that tell scientists what reality is like, what problems to study, and what methods and equipment to use.
What is normal science according to Kuhn?
Puzzle solving, where the paradigms lay down the broad outline and the scientist’s job is to carefully fill in the details.
How are scientists socialised into believing in a paradigm?
Through scientific education and training.
What happens to scientists who challenge the assumptions of a paradigm?
They are likely to be ridiculed and pushed out of the scientific profession.
What does Knorr-Cetina argue about science?
Science is socially structured and not based on objective truths.
How do instruments affect scientific facts according to Knorr-Cetina?
The invention of telescopes or other instruments allows scientists to construct new facts in artificial laboratory environments.
