SOCIOL 2Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Cultural Relativism, De Jure, The Foundations
20 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Science: the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of physical and natural phenomena through observation and experiment. A systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions. A key element of science is empiricism. Science is a focused, organized and systematic version of how we know the world by experience. For most of human history, questions about the nature of the world were answered by religious authorities. But mathematics, astronomy emerge in ancient greece and egypt. Thales of miletus in the (624 b. c. ) often considered father of science". Rst to suggest non-supernatural explanations for earthquakes, lightning. Eratosthenes (276 b. c. ) measured size of the earth using two sticks. The world is knowable by humans through rational thought. Focus on human reason and goodness rather supernatural forces. Challenged the reliance on geniuses and authority gures. Geniuses need not apply what science really needs is careful observation and measurement + rational analysis.
