Scientific Research I. [antikvár]

How to Use This Book This treatise on the strategy and philosophy of science is divided into two volumes of two parts each. Part I, the Introduction, offers a preview of the scheme of science (Ch. 1) and somé logical and semantical tools (Chs. 2 and 3) that will be used in the sequel. The account of scientific research proper begins with Part II on Scientific Ideas. In the beginning was the problem — a subject studied in Ch. 4. Then comes the tentative solution to a problem — that is, a hypothesis (Ch. 5). Next, the hypo-thesis assumed to reproduce an objective pattern, i.e. the scientific law (Ch. 6). Finally the building and readjustment of systems of hypotheses — i.e., theories — are examined in Chs. 7 (with emphasis on structure and content) and 8 (with emphasis on construction). This closes Vol. I, The Search for System. Vol. II opens with Part III, Applying Scientific Ideas. Ch. 9 deals with the application of theories to explanation and Ch. 10 with their application to prediction and retrodiction. Ch. 11, on rational action, belongs to the philosophy of technology. Finally Part IV, Testing Scientific Ideas, opens with observation (Ch. 12) and goes on to measurement (Ch. 13) and experiment (Ch. 14). The jumping to con-clusions from data to hypotheses and conversely (Ch. 15) completes Vol. II, The Search for Truth. Look at the structure: Scientific Approach o 2 Concept o 3 Elucidation I Introduction Problem 4 O' Hypothesis 5 o Law 6 o > II Scientific Ideas Theory: Statics 7 o Theory: Dynamics L A Explanation 9 c Applying Scientific Ideas Action 11 9' Observation 12 o Measurement 13 0 IV Testing Scientific Ideas Experiment 14 o Concluding 15 ó