HPS100H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Classical Mechanics, Crystal Ball, Falsifiability
9 Jan 2020
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History and philosophy of science lecture 6- science and non- Science and non-science: what is the difference between science and non-science, more often than not, the question that is actually asked is, what are the characteristics of a scientific theory. Theories- scientific vs. unscientific: witchcraft: allied with the devil, witches employ their magical powers and spells to harm people, homeopathy: a substance that causes a disease in a healthy people can cure the disease in sick people. Like cures like: divination: an insight into a question can be gained by means of reading signs and omens, or through contact with a supernatural agency. You can actually choose your own medium (crystal ball, rules, tarot cards, etc: we have a bunch of theories here. History- it is a science that doesn"t want to form any theories. Its point is to outline how things happen. We believe that history provides us with trustworthy knowledge.
