CPO-2002 Lecture 6: Lecture 6
Document Summary
A scholar who employs the comparative method starts with observations of the world, and then generates a theory or explanation based on them. These scholars are relying entirely on the process of affirming the consequent. (an invalid argument. ) If we identify causes only after we have observed the data, then we have no chance of coming across disconfirming observations. The body of knowledge that we (cid:272)all (cid:862)s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)tifi(cid:272)(cid:863) (cid:373)ay well (cid:271)e a produ(cid:272)t of s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e, (cid:271)ut (cid:374)ot science itself. Science is a quest for knowledge that relies on criticism; the thing that allows for criticism is the possibility that our theories might be wrong. Science is a method for provisionally understanding the world. (always subject to further confirmation) Thus, the thing that distinguishes science from non-science is that scientific statements must be falsifiable. There must be some imaginable observation that could falsify or refute our theory.
