by Albert Major

Critical and Scientific Thinking

Philosophy of science part 1

The Scientific Method

• There isn't one single scientific method that applies to all sciences

Science is (often):

• Empirical (Empiricism is the philosophical idea that all knowledge is founded on observation)
• Experimental
• Quantifiable

Science aims to:

• Describe, classify and organize the world
• Explain phenomena
• Predict phenomena

However, not all sciences fit these criteria:

• Mathematics and logic aren't empirical
• Evolutionary biology and astrophysics aren't experimental
• Some social sciences aren't always quantifiable
• Some sciences, like evolutionary biology, don't make future predictions