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Science (Indo-European root meaning 'to seperate' or 'to distinguish', related to Sanskrit 'chyati' - he cuts off, Greek 'schizein' - to
split, Latin 'scindere' - to split. More recently derived from Latin 'scientia' - knowledge) refers to the system of acquiring
knowledge – based on empiricism, experimentation, and methodological naturalism. The term science also refers to the
organized body of knowledge humans have gained by such research.
Most scientists maintain that scientific investigation must adhere to the scientific method, a process for evaluating empirical
knowledge which explains observable events in nature as a result of natural causes, rejecting supernatural notions. Less
formally, the word science often describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it. Particular specialized
studies that make use of empirical methods are often referred to as sciences as well. This article concentrates on the more
specific definition.
Fields of science are commonly classified along two major lines:
Natural sciences, the study of the natural phenomena;
Social sciences, the systematic study of human behavior and society.
Mathematics has both similarities and differences compared to other fields of science, and is sometimes included within a third,
separate classification, called formal science. Mathematics is similar to other sciences because it is a rigorous, structured study
(of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change). It is different because of its method of arriving at its results.
Mathematics as a whole is vital to the sciences — indeed major advances in mathematics have often led to major advances in
other sciences. Certain aspects of mathematics are indispensable for the formation of hypotheses, theories and laws in
discovering and describing how things work (natural sciences) and how people think and act ya ma (social sciences).
Science as defined above is sometimes termed pure science to differentiate it from applied science, the application of research
to human needs.
SCIENCE :refers to the system of acquiring knowledge – based on empiricism, experimentation, and methodological
naturalism. The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge humans have gained by such research.
- empiricism: A central concept in science and the scientific method is that all evidence must be empirical, or empirically
based, that is, dependent on evidence that is observable by the senses. It is differentiated from the philosophic usage of
empiricism by the use of the adjective "empirical" or the adverb "empirically". Empirical is used in conjunction with both
the natural and social sciences, and refers to the use of working hypotheses that are testable using observation or
experiment. In this sense of the word, scientific statements are subject to and derived from our experiences or
observations.
In a second sense "empirical" in science may be synonymous with "experimental". In this sense, an empirical result is an
experimental observation. The term semi-empirical is sometimes used to describe theoretical methods which make use of
basic axioms, established scientific laws, and previous experimental results in order to engage in reasoned model building and
theoretical inquiry.
Francis Bacon, though not the first to advocate induction based upon evidence observable by the senses, is considered as one
of the founders of (modern) science. In practice, the English scientists of the 17th century used mathematics and their
imagination in their research. Using the imagination meant keeping all possibilities open including that the occult, or magic,
could be possible. Important for Bacon, and other early scientists such as Isaac Newton, was to carefully study nature and the
occult. Both Bacon and Newton were also practitioners of alchemy, an early form of modern chemistry
- Naturalism : Naturalism is any of several philosophical stances, typically those descended from materialism and
pragmatism, that do not distinguish the supernatural from nature. Naturalism does not necessarily claim that
phenomena or hypotheses commonly labeled as supernatural do not exist or are wrong, but insists that all phenomena
and hypotheses can be studied by the same methods and therefore anything considered supernatural is either
nonexistent, unknowable, or not inherently different from natural phenomena or hypotheses.
Any method of inquiry or investigation or any procedure for gaining knowledge that limits itself to natural, physical, and material
approaches and explanations can be described as naturalistic.
Distinctions are sometimes made between two approaches, the first being methodological naturalism or scientific naturalism,
and the second ontological naturalism or metaphysical naturalism. The first approach underlies the application of the scientific
method in science, which makes the methodological assumption that observable events in nature are explained only by natural
causes, without assuming the existence or non-existence of the supernatural, and hence does not accept supernatural
explanations for such events. The second approach refers to the metaphysical belief that the natural world (including the
universe) is all that exists, and therefore nothing supernatural exists.
This distinction between approaches to the philosophy of naturalism is particularly made by those supporting science and
evolution in the creation-evolution controversy. Some proponents of Creationism or intelligent design refer to methodological
naturalism as scientific materialism or as methodological materialism which they conflate with metaphysical naturalism, in
contrast to their preferred approach of a revived natural philosophy which welcomes supernatural explanations for natural
phenomena.
- Knowledge: Knowledge is information of which someone is aware. Knowledge is also used to mean the confident
understanding of a subject, potentially with the ability to use it for a specific purpose.
The unreliability of memory limits the certainty of knowledge about the past, while unpredictability of events yet to occur limits the
certainty of knowledge about the future. Epistemology is the philosophical study of the nature, origin, and scope of knowledge.
- Research: Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering,
interpreting and revising facts. This intellectual investigation produces a greater understanding of events, behaviors, or
theories, and makes practical applications through laws and theories. The term research is also used to describe a
collection of information about a particular subject, and is usually associated with science and the scientific method.
The word research derives from Middle French (see French language); its literal meaning is 'to investigate thoroughly'.
Thomas Kuhn, in his book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, traces an interesting history and analysis of the enterprise of
research.
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