Concept of scientific picture of the world

CABINET OF MINISTERS OF UKRAINE

National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

 

Department of Philosophy

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

about:

 

“Concept of scientific picture of the world”

 

 

 

 

Fulfilled:

student 2 year, 2 groups

Faculty of Computer Science and Economic Cybernetics

Yakubchuk K. O.

 

Head:

Supervisor - Ph.D., Associate Professor Vermenko A. Y.

 

 

Kyiv-2013 

PLAN

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………….3

1. About science and scientific picture of the world………………………………4
2. Place the scientific picture of the world in the process of scientific knowledge............................................................................................................6
3. Structure and change in world view. Scientific Revolution…………………...11
4. Patterns of change in scientific picture of the world ………………………….12
1. The inevitability of change in world view…………………………….....13
2. On the patterns of change scientific picture of the world………………..14
3. Terms and stages of change scientific picture of the world……….…….15
5. About  the "healthy conservatism"………………………………………….…20

CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………………………….…23

LITERATURE……………………………………………………………………24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The problem of the definition of «scientific world " and its relationship with science is complex and is currently being discussed by philosophers as well as representatives of the natural sciences.

However, the history of science suggests the existence for a long period of time a stable ideological " atmosphere" of the general concepts about the properties of reality, under which the developing science of time. The atmosphere is called the «scientific world ". It defines the limits of "reasonable» in terms of age hypotheses, and therefore encourages the formulation of some scientific issues and, conversely, does not promote or even prevent the occurrence of others. Thus the scientific world sets defined direction for the development and theory (guiding force for research in this area), and observations (for the development of technical base).

 

1. About science and scientific picture of the world

 

Science is usually defined as a special spiritual sphere, namely, the intellectual activity of man and mankind, the purpose of which is to develop reliable knowledge about the surrounding reality. However, the science called itself the result of the activity – system more or less accurate knowledge about this region – in reality a set of quantitative laws of general ideas , principles, theories finished and new working hypotheses (the latter , as a part of science experiencing major changes and include the words " less reliable ") [ 1]. On the other hand, for science is characterized by the gradual accumulation of a stable core of knowledge, which includes the mentioned laws, principles, and mainly quantitative, mathematical aspect of physical theories. The fact that even the ability of a theory to predict new phenomena (which is the main control value theory) does not exclude the fact that this theory correctly displays only the quantitative side effects (within a given theory). However, it can give a false explanation of phenomena. These were, for example, the theory of Ptolemy in astronomy, the theory of heat, electricity, magnetism, based on the ideas of special weightless liquids: heat type, etc. – in physics. Actually as far as the overall development of science revealed more clearly the limits of justice or the degree of accuracy of quantitative laws themselves.

But still described the core knowledge, although tests over time some changes, is a basis of science. With the development of knowledge base , or fundamental laws , principles , theories rarely change in a revolutionary way , by completely discarding some and the introduction of new ( as happened in the transition from Aristotelian to modern physics). Such theories and patterns over long periods of time are enriched in agreement with the correspondence principle. This means that the construction of new more general theory and introduced a more general laws are as already known in turn to the phenomena in a bounded region of space, speed , etc. or at a lower level of accuracy. (For example, general and special relativity – to classical theories of gravitation and mechanics). It reveals the true essence of the tenets that are sometimes only "mirror inverted» reflection of reality.

Basis Science, in turn, is the basis on which arises and there is a variable component of science – industry specific working hypotheses that require verification. (This includes "quality ", explaining the reason of the physical theories.) Check them made ​​with the development of experimental techniques, receivers of information, and methods of processing, logical and mathematical tools of science. Then the hypothesis or to retire rigorous quantitative theories and to some extent adds a base, or rejected as erroneous or exhausted its possibilities approximate (for example, based on an analogy with something already known) description of reality.

But at the same time with the development of science as a process of controlling the accumulation of knowledge, on this basis , the most common hypothesis of a " ideological superstructure" – formed a hypothetical single system model representations – General construction of reality, or rather its particular aspect – physical, biological, astronomical . In addition to knowledge of the laws specific to this aspect of reality, this model includes the concept of "rules of conduct" of the cognitive mind – the logic and criteria "common sense" for this model. Such an integrated system of ideas and concepts is the scientific picture of the world [3].

Scientific world is the result of subconscious extrapolation more reliable, but limited knowledge in all reality, the area where the full test ideas fundamentally unattainable. In creating scientific world manifested power of mind is always spread knowledge far beyond the experience necessary for life beyond their practical use. It becomes all the more freely, the less they are supporting facts (less strict controls), as evidenced by the emergence of myths and fairy tales cosmological content of all nations before they appeared rocket science.

In other than science, more precisely from some scientific hypothesis, the scientific picture of the world can become a rigorous theory, as this theory would be "all reality» all possible, for example biological or astronomical phenomena. But the reality is inexhaustible – and its limitless learning process [4].

Scientific world cannot go to the rank of rigorous theories and that it is the result of very distant extrapolation famous for such endless amounts of the unknown, which may be still available to us the laws and forms of matter itself.

But although pre- clear (to anyone who thinks about it) that the scientific picture of the world – only temporal model of reality with its construction and no perception of it as quite reliable (at a considerable period of time) representation of reality human mind could not move further into knowledge of the world. After building a pattern model of the world – is , in fact, postulating (based on experience ) universal laws of nature that open and eventually total ordering of the objective world , without which there can be no theory about it, except as chaos , available knowledge.

 

2. Place the scientific picture of the world in the process of scientific knowledge

 

Scientific creativity and creating scientific world – different, though interrelated elements of a process of infinite understanding and knowledge of objective reality in which there are three main elements. First, it is the content of the process: the accumulation of information through observation and discovery of phenomena, processing of information by technical means (for example, classification ), and finally , this process of understanding information by nominating working hypotheses about the relationship between the events themselves and on their nature; hypothesis testing by setting the control experiment or new observations in order to build a new quantitative theory of aggregate phenomena.

The second element of scientific knowledge include the means and conditions for its implementation: the means of obtaining and processing information and, as already mentioned, a certain ideological atmosphere that determines if a point of view on the resulting set of observable facts (scientific picture of the world).

The third element of the process of scientific knowledge is the result : specific quantitative or qualitative laws, principles , interpretations made ​​some newly discovered phenomena – For example, as evidence of the existence of new objects ( the discovery of pulsars in particular periodic radio signals ) that, in the end , the theory of the phenomena and objects. Specific results of science are its growing core basis. On its basis, applied science, using the achievements of science and technology in everyday life. In turn, the core is surrounded by a less stable atmosphere of working hypotheses about certain groups of phenomena. However , extrapolation beyond available in this era of possible experience obtained new knowledge complements and clarifies the current picture of the world , or, for example , shows its failure, and then emerging new ideas for laying a new scientific world view. Thus, the picture of the world is and condition and results of science, directs scientific research and changing herself on a feedback.

The historical role of each scientific world – Create a thumbnail, or the hypothetical frame of reality, which imposes certain restrictions on the nature of possible new hypotheses to explain these or other new phenomena. Like a force field, the picture of the world as if directing the movement of thought, arranges her understanding of reality. And as every true picture of the world itself is based on previous achievements of science , being very broad hypothesis – extrapolation of knowledge , then organizing research in a particular direction, it facilitates the implementation of targeted checks himself – Check degree of truth accepted model of reality. In the process of checking some details worldview confirmed by switching to the rank of authentic knowledge, the latter, however, contrary to reality and discarded. But, probably, the scientific picture of the world has its own permanent core that remains when replacing one painting different.

Scientific world by definition is fundamentally different from science: scientific knowledge is always fragmentary, although within each fragment (description of reality) it may be significant (at least for a long period of time). Scientific world on the contrary, always complete, general contingency. Even so it is always hypothetical, as it does not put restrictions on equity components of its ideas. And if set, it would be transformed into reliable, but fragmented, limited knowledge (in science) [1].

That's integrity, that it is a complete system that condemns every scientific picture of the world, or rather, in every age of the world picture of the full shift, without loss of remnant with the kernel. Same Note fate and quality of physical theories, as finished being local, partial systems, sooner or later concede place to other, more experienced, but also temporal systems. In contrast, the core of science is the amount of information about the nature not related to a rigid system, and so retained, at least it remained the sole principle of nature that has stood the test of time.

Of course, science has developed a number of ideas is sufficient proof that as the most general principles of nature included in each subsequent even radically altered view of the world. These are the ideas of causality, determinism, the principle of conservation of energy, etc. But they are only building material (like building blocks that can be used in different ways) without creating a separate and no intercom is no "pattern".

Moreover it at the picture of the world as fundamentally hypothetical interpretation of reality, in a free flight of thought, may have profound new ideas, expression of which is impossible to orthodox science, the limited scope of experience and generally available yet scientific world. The emergence of non-standard (but quite scientific) ideas and concepts can talk about the emergence of the first shoots of new ideas about the world, new world. But we must remember that this job requires an ample supply of traditional "fuel» – new facts and knowledge about the current state of the science. Yes, within the modern cosmological world view emerging seditious doubt the validity of seemingly irrefutable ancestral principles as the law of conservation of energy and the principle of entropy growth , – when going to the extent of the galactic universe. Although the historical experience of physics shows that such concerns often appeared unfounded, greater freedom to discuss the possibility of such violations of the principles of traditional , visual resolution ( at high level of scientific competence) unexpectedly gave birth to true – open unexplored layers of new properties reality).

Painting the world, on the one hand, plays the role of "form» in accordance with which are based scientific interpretation of new experiences and observations as new facts not «overflow over the edges," requiring a new form. On the other hand, the picture of the world reveals the sometimes quite unexpectedly even for the " architects " new distant horizons, a destination creative thought most insightful research and where it is sometimes possible to look into the distant future: to capture the features of reality, the authenticity of which is established through the centuries (for example, such was amazing predicting Bruno Lambert, Laplace) [2].

Scientific picture of the world in every age shows the degree of approximation of modern science to reflect reality. With the accumulation of knowledge, improve the accuracy of observations and measurements can be obtained confirmation of the various parts of the model to reality. Then they become accurate knowledge transferred from the scientific picture of the world (with the ideological superstructure) in science, adding to supply reliable scientific knowledge. So, being first is essentially a model of the universe, the Copernican world system specific (not heliocentric principle, not the idea of mobility of the Earth or other bodies rejection of weightlessness, – which was ingenious conjecture about the true features of the world), with the time specified and more grounded, moved to his home, in the category of planetary reliable objective knowledge – precise theory of the structure of the solar system. However, its other parts ( the absolute value of the principle of "heliocentric" sphere of fixed stars ) were rejected Giordano Bruno , who, in fact, started a new astronomical worldview .However , extending through parts of world view , the core of authentic knowledge grows, but does not reduce the total volume of world view , as it has no "outer limits ". Simulation of reality expands the depth and width is infinite, and the foundation of science it is always limited part.

However, staying with their defining elements, the picture of the world can no longer exist as an integrated system in such a defective form. So Bruno, rejecting the central position of the sun relative to the entire universe (this was the essence of the original heliocentric Copernicus), destroyed the Copernican view of the world for the first time by submitting a sketch is essentially infinite Newtonian universe.

In addition, we note one additional role of world view. Each model if it is not some arbitrary fiction, and is the extrapolation of observations, experiments, in varying degrees necessarily reflects some features of reality. However, while it may be a mirror reflection upside down (like Ptolemy's system) or may reflect existing quantitative analogy between processes of different nature (the idea of ​​heat and other kinds of special «fluids ", which was used to describe the thermal and electromagnetic processes in physics). Therefore, after finding that the model was " inverted ", and after the discovery of the true nature of phenomena is often successful model continues to be used to simplify the description of phenomena (for example, description of apparent motion of the sun today is held in geocentric coordinates ). But the difference is that this model is now used only as a convenient method, with full knowledge of its conventions.

Science in modern science is divided into basic or universal, and the subject, specialized. The former refers only to physics, since it describes the matter in its most simple, elemental form. All the rest of the scientific study and more highly simply because individualized forms of matter. It follows that the universal scientific view of the world can be called only physical [2]. However, there are other aspects of reality suggest appropriate partial or local view of the world: chemical, biological, astronomical, and even narrower: astrophysical, cosmological ... In essence, the physical picture of the world in this sense, local – describes his section dimension of reality. However, it is universal, because the laws of physics are the basis of all the others.

3. Structure and change in world view. Scientific Revolution

 

Based on the long history of the study of the universe we can see that in every picture of the world , there are three constituent elements : 1) the idea of ​​the initial material ( the nature of the observed objects ), 2) understanding of the mechanism of the observed objects , or about the mechanism of the processes , events in which participate the observed objects , and 3) understanding of the structure , scope , methods exist ( stationary , variability , development) of the whole.

The first element of each individual world view. For modern astronomical – is the characteristic form of matter into space in the form of clusters of hot plasma with strongly compressed kernel and its own nuclear power sources – stars of different types of neutron until well baryon (consisting of more heavy, unstable particle hypertonic – [2]) as well as an incredibly diluted, which has its own energy sources gas and dust in the interstellar medium and intergalactic space. In astronomical picture of the world firmly entrenched and the image of a black hole – collapse stars with a mass of 5.5 to 109 solar masses. Also as material objects in astronomical worldview featured piercing space flows – high-energy particles and cosmic rays background (relic) radiation with a temperature of about 3 K. In recent years more and more place in this world picture begins to take the mysterious missing mass, that indirectly evident, but not yet known to science (perhaps weighty neutrinos). The second element of the astronomical world view – is known in physics forces that prevail in space: first of all, gravity and nuclear forces (in the modern world picture of an increasingly important role played by the incorporation of electromagnetic forces).

The third element of the most unique and astronomical worldview needs no explanation: the overall "look» conceivable universe in its complexity of its parts.

Changing the world view may include the amendment of the first two elements. But a radical change is the third element is a change in view of the overall circuit structure, scale, state of the universe. Moreover, changing the third element may be affected and the main core of any world view – its physical foundation (elements of the physical picture of the world). In this case, the total being displayed on all fields of science and in this sense universal revolution in science. Thus, at the time the change pattern of the world, launched a full revolution of Copernicus Astronomical scheme Ptolemy, at the heart changed the understanding of the structure and properties of celestial bodies, as well as the reason for their movement. This led the physicists, especially Galileo; completely abandon the existing conventional and then Aristotelian world view. Currently, in the film «hot" universe cosmologists again break through the foundations of modern physics, in any case, cosmology has become a problem of significant intensification basis of the physical picture of the world.

But revolutionary change in world view can be both local and partial character when it comes to changing the local picture of the world, such as astronomical. After all, that picture of the world in all its elements is essentially abstract construction that allows it to be a general contingency. Last forcing it into a complete change when the accumulated knowledge will create the foundation for the emergence of a new comprehensive same extrapolation, which cannot be a generalization of another of the same comprehensive hypothesis – extrapolation of previous knowledge?

 

4. Patterns of change in scientific picture of the world

 

Now, having considered the relationship between science and the scientific world, more detail will focus on patterns of change in world view. You can ask the following questions. 1. Do regular change pattern of the world, whether it is inevitable or is there hope for the accumulation of reliable knowledge to create a «perpetual " correct picture of the world? 2. Are there any stable laws change scientific world and forming new? 3. What is the practical value of the study of the scientific picture of the world? And is it really true maxim that «history teaches only because she had no one and nothing ever attended».

1. The inevitability of change in world view

 

As already mentioned the claim to comprehensiveness dooms every scientific picture of the world in its change and replace a new one. With the accumulation of information about the world of accounting for the picture sooner or later comes into disagreement with the observations. And because the learning process is limitless, eternal creation worldview impossible.

Scientific world is a subsidiary of «scaffolding «for the maximum of the possible consequences of its main provisions – essentially data objects and processes in the surrounding universe (which used to be called the first and second elements of the world view). On the evolutionary stage of scientific knowledge most of these elements are complemented by new data, essentially unchanged (not rejecting existing concepts concerning the content of these elements). The consequences of them are formed in a very large specific hypotheses, models a particular aspect of reality, creating the third element of the picture of the world (for example, different versions of the geocentric world view). This world view combines fact with science: it theoretical part. The third element of the picture world – is connected to the system as a «header «theories, which then either discarded or converted to long-term experience confirmed the theory.