The Science Of Superstitions :: essays research papers

<a href="http//www.geocities.com/vaksam/">Sam Vaknins Psychology, Philosophy, economic science and Foreign Affairs Web SitesThe debate between realism and anti-realism is, at least, a century old. Does Science describe the real world or argon its theories true only within a definite conceptual framework? Is science only instrumental or empiric altogethery fitted or is there more to it than that? Jose Ortega y Gasset said (in an unrelated exchange) that all ideas stem from pre-rational beliefs. William James concurred by saying that accepting a virtue often requires an act of will which goes beyond facts and into the realm of feelings. Maybe so, scarce is there is little doubt today that beliefs are somehow manifold in the formation of many scientific ideas, if not of the very enterprisingness of Science. After all, Science is a human activity and humans incessantly believe that things exist (=are true) or could be true. A promissory note is traditionally made between accept in somethings existence, truth, look upon of appropriateness (this is the way that it ought to be) and believing that something. The latter is a propositional attitude we hypothesise that something, we wish that something, we feel that something and we believe that something. Believing in A and believing that A - are different. It is reasonable to assume that belief is a hold affair. Few of us would tend to believe in contradictions and falsehoods. Catholic theologians talk about explicit belief (in something which is known to the believer to be true) versus tacit one (in the known consequences of something whose truth pilenot be known). Truly, we believe in the hazard of something (we, thus, express an opinion) or in its certain existence (truth). All humans believe in the existence of pertainions or relationships between things. This is not something which can be proven or proven false (to use Poppers test). That things consistently follow each(prenomina l) other does not prove they are related in any objective, real, manner except in our minds. This belief in some order (if we define order as permanent relations between separate physical or nobble entities) permeates both Science and Superstition. They both believe that there must be and is a connection between things out there. Science limits itself and believes that only certain entities inter-relate within well defined conceptual frames (called theories). Not everything has the potential to connect to everything else. Entities are discriminated, differentiated, classified and assimilated in worldviews in accordance with the types of connections that they forge with each other.