Philosophy of Science – Key Vocabulary

A vocabulary set summarizing essential terms and ideas referenced in the Philosophy of Science examination paper.

Science

The systematic study of the natural world through observation, measurement and experiment, aimed at generating testable explanations and predictions.

Technology

The practical application of scientific knowledge to design tools, systems or processes that solve problems or satisfy human needs.

Scientific Method

An iterative process that typically moves through observation, questioning, hypothesis formation, experimentation, data analysis, conclusion and communication.

Inductive Reasoning

A logical approach that draws general conclusions from specific observations or cases.

Deductive Reasoning

A logical process that applies general principles to predict or explain specific instances.

Truth in Science

A provisional, evidence-based understanding accepted until better explanations or data emerge.

Repeatability

The requirement that experiments or studies can be independently replicated with similar outcomes, ensuring reliability of results.

Limitation of Science

Areas where empirical methods cannot fully address questions—such as morality, aesthetics, metaphysics or the supernatural—highlighting science’s boundaries.

Aristotelian Science

Pre-modern, qualitative science emphasizing purpose (teleology) and direct observation without controlled experimentation.

Modern Science

Post-Renaissance science characterized by quantitative measurement, controlled experiments, mathematics and falsifiability.

Islamic Science

An approach that integrates empirical investigation with a Tawhidic worldview, viewing knowledge as understanding the signs of God.

Adab (Right Action)

Proper manners and ethical conduct grounded in knowledge, ensuring respect, humility and responsibility in word and deed.

Contemptus Mundi

Latin for "contempt of the world"; a worldview that regards worldly attachments as inferior to spiritual or eternal concerns.

Watchmaker God

A deist metaphor depicting God as a skilled clockmaker who designs the universe, starts it and then does not interfere with its operation.

Sources of Knowledge

Recognized origins of knowing—revelation, reason, sense experience and reliable testimony—each providing distinct insights.

Population Control

The deliberate regulation of animal or human population size through policies or practices to keep numbers manageable or sustainable.

Certainty and Doubt (Francis Bacon)

The idea that beginning inquiry with doubt leads to genuine certainty, whereas starting with fixed certainty ends in skepticism.

Little vs. In-depth Scientific Knowledge (Francis Bacon)

A notion that superficial science may incline one toward atheism, while deeper study reveals order and design that fosters belief in God.

Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas on Knowledge

Holds that knowledge is both the arrival of meaning in the soul and the soul’s journey toward meaning, stressing internalization.

Imam Malik on Seeking Knowledge

Teaches that the learner must actively pursue knowledge rather than passively wait for it to come.

Mistakes in Science (Jules Verne)

Errors are valuable because they guide researchers step by step toward the truth when corrected and understood.