Sociology 2206A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Thalidomide, Confirmation Bias, Falsifiability

• School: Western University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: Sociology 2206A/B
• Professor: E. Bell

Document Summary

(cid:862)ordinary(cid:863) kno(cid:449)ing: speculation and logical analysis, no data, may rely on commonsensical aphorisms, authority (experts, tradition, consensus, casual observation. Science: a body of knowledge; a method of gaining knowledge: falsifiable (test-able) explanations, popper tautology, norms of science, universalism, organized skepticism, disinterestedness, communalism (replication, honesty. Defi(cid:374)ed as a (cid:858)pith(cid:455) state(cid:373)e(cid:374)t(cid:859) (cid:894)(cid:449)itt(cid:455)/shroud state(cid:373)e(cid:374)t(cid:895) E. g. , (cid:862)t(cid:449)o heads are (cid:271)etter tha(cid:374) o(cid:374)e(cid:863) E. g. , (cid:862)too (cid:373)a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:272)ooks spoil a (cid:271)roth(cid:863) Common sense can lead us in opposite directions: we need to go beyond common sense then to get a true answer. It therefore has limited use in the world of knowledge. We need to use systematic data to determine which direction is true knowledge: argument from authority. We accept the information because the source of the k(cid:374)o(cid:449)ledge is a(cid:374) (cid:858)e(cid:454)pert(cid:859) Usuall(cid:455) do(cid:374)(cid:859)t ha(cid:448)e (cid:373)u(cid:272)h u(cid:374)dersta(cid:374)di(cid:374)g of (cid:449)hat the e(cid:454)pert is a(cid:374) (cid:858)e(cid:454)pert(cid:859) a(cid:271)out. I. e. , thalidomide: the do(cid:272)tors did(cid:374)(cid:859)t k(cid:374)o(cid:449) a(cid:374)(cid:455) (cid:271)etter. Just (cid:271)e(cid:272)ause a(cid:374) authorit(cid:455) sa(cid:455)s so(cid:373)ethi(cid:374)g, does(cid:374)(cid:859)t (cid:373)ea(cid:374) it(cid:859)s true.