Searching for Demarcation Line in Science (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos))

Duhem-Quine Thesis (The 'All Copper' Problem)

The argument that logic alone cannot isolate which part of an experiment failed (theory, tools, or sample), meaning theories are never tested in isolation.

Complementary Hypothesis (Popper's Rule)

An excuse or explanation for a failed prediction is only acceptable if it is independently testable (e.g., 'The wire is broken').

Why Popper rejected Marxist excuses

Because their excuses (like 'Historical reasons') were vague and untestable, protecting the theory from ever being falsified.

Thomas Kuhn's 'Paradigm'

The standard procedure, rules, and accepted theories that scientists follow during a period of 'Normal Science'.

Anomaly (Kuhn)

A specific observation or clue that contradicts the current Paradigm's rules.

Crisis (Kuhn)

A period when too many anomalies accumulate, causing scientists to panic and lose faith in the current Paradigm.

Scientific Revolution / Paradigm Shift

The event where a new system replaces the old Paradigm (e.g., Einstein replacing Newton).

Lakatos's Critique of Kuhn

Lakatos disagreed that science changes based on 'social norms' (mob rule). He argued for a rational, objective method (Research Programs).

Research Program (Lakatos)

Lakatos's unit of science, consisting of a Hard Core (unchangeable) and a Protective Belt (changeable).

Hard Core (Lakatos)

The central, unchangeable ideas or assumptions of a theory (e.g., Newton's Laws) that are never rejected.

Protective Belt (Lakatos)

The outer layer of auxiliary hypotheses and methods that takes the impact of failed experiments and is modified to save the Core.

Naturalism

The belief that science is the only way to know truth and that all knowledge comes from humans interacting with nature.

Darwinism's impact on Psychology

Implies that human behavior and psychology are products of natural selection, rejecting concepts like free will.

Sociology of Science (View on Truth)

Relativism: Truth is not objective; it is determined by social norms, politics, and power dynamics.

Social Reason for Darwinism's Popularity

It became popular because industrial factory owners needed an excuse ('Survival of the Fittest') for economic inequality.

Social Reason for Relativity's Popularity

It resonated with the public because WWI had destroyed the old order, making people receptive to 'uncertainty'.

Postmodernism

The belief that there is no objective truth and that science is just a social construct or 'story'.

Alan Sokal

A physics professor who wrote a nonsense article to expose Postmodernists as intellectual frauds.

The Sokal Hoax

Sokal published a fake paper in a Postmodern journal to prove they would publish gibberish if it flattered their ideology.

Goal of the Sokal Hoax

To show that Postmodernists lacked quality control and didn't understand the science they criticized.

The Logic Trap (Failed Prediction)

Logic tells you something is wrong when a prediction fails, but it doesn't tell you what (Theory vs. Tools).

Normal Science (Kuhn)

The period where scientists happily solve puzzles within the existing Paradigm without questioning the main rules.

Relativism in Science

The idea that scientific 'facts' are just products of their time and culture, not universal truths.

Social Reason for Experimental Science

It arose as a convincing method to decide questions during the era of Religious Wars.

Neo-Darwinists' Goal

To replace philosophy and metaphysics with science.