Science is considered as an integrated, evolving system, with its own foundations, with its own ideals and norms of research. These characteristics are characteristic of science not only as a specific form of activity. But as a combination of disciplinary knowledge, and as a social institution.
What is science?
Science is a special kind of activity, the essence of which lies in the actually verified and logically ordered knowledge of objects and processes of the surrounding reality. This activity is associated with goal setting and decision making, selection and recognition of responsibility.
Science can also be imagined as a system of knowledge, which is determined by criteria such as objectivity, adequacy, and truth. Science seeks to be autonomous. And also to remain neutral in relation to ideological and political installations. The main goal and value of science, its foundation is considered truth.
Science can be considered as:
- social institution;
- method;
- the process of accumulating knowledge;
- production development factor;
- one of the factors in the formation of a person’s beliefs and his attitude to the environment.
Grounds
Despite the deep specialization of modern science, all scientific knowledge meets certain standards and is based on common principles. The concept of the foundations of science is represented by fundamental principles, a conceptual apparatus, ideals, norms and standards of scientific research. It is believed that science is determined by the underlying scientific picture of the world. Accordingly, it can be considered as a fundamental basis. Consider the main problems.
The problem of the foundations of science
Until recently, scientists, research institutes, and government agencies relied solely on a self-regulatory system based on common ethical principles and generally accepted research practices to ensure integrity in the research process. Among the basic principles that guide scientists, one can note respect for the integrity of knowledge, collegiality, honesty, objectivity and openness. These principles work in the fundamental elements of the scientific method, such as formulating a hypothesis, developing an experiment to test a hypothesis, and collecting and interpreting data. In addition, more specific principles specific to certain disciplines affect:
- observation methods;
- acquisition, storage, management and exchange of data;
- transfer of scientific knowledge and information;
- training of young scientists.
How these principles are applied varies widely among several scientific disciplines, various research organizations, and individual researchers.
Basic and specific principles that guide research methods exist mainly in an unwritten code of ethics. They are the scientific basis of the Academy of Sciences and any other scientific institution. Currently, there are many informal and formal practices and procedures in the academic research environment. Those based on fundamental principles.
Scientific picture of the world
It is a holistic system of representations related to the general properties and laws of nature. It is also the result of a generalization and synthesis of basic natural science concepts and principles.
Science is based on the analysis of observations made either through our senses, or using special equipment. Therefore, science cannot explain anything about the natural world, which is beyond the observable.
The scientific picture of the world can be called a special form of theoretical scientific knowledge, representing the subject of research in accordance with the stage of historical development.
Fundamental principles
At the general level, sciences have much in common, a set of what can be called epistemological or fundamental principles that guide scientific research. They include the search for a conceptual (theoretical) understanding, the formulation of empirically verifiable and refutable hypotheses, the development of studies, the verification and exclusion of competing counterhypotheses. To do this, observation methods associated with theory are used that allow other scientists to verify their accuracy, recognize the importance of independent replication, and generalize them. It is very unlikely that any of these studies will possess all of these qualities. Nevertheless, scientific research combines the primacy of empirical testing of hypotheses and formal statements using well-codified methods of observation, rigorous constructions and expert assessment.
Ideals and norms
The system of ideals and norms of the foundations of modern science consists of ideals and norms relating to:
- explanation and description;
- evidence and validity of knowledge;
- building and organizing knowledge.
These aspects can be interpreted in two ways: they are affected, on the one hand, by the specifics of the objects that they are studying, and on the other, the specific historical conditions of this era. Despite the close relationship, these categories should not be identified.
The norm, in fact, is a typical, averaged rule, indicates duty and obligation. An ideal is the highest reference form of development that goes beyond the norm. The norm must be implemented everywhere, while the implementation of the ideal cannot be universal. Rather, it is a guideline. By means of the norm, the limits are set within which the goals are realized. The ideal is the highest point of coincidence of goals and values. Norms can change and transform, the nature of the ideal is more stable, since the reference is a perfect example of knowledge.
Science and philosophy
The philosophical foundations of science include a number of definitions, each of which has several components.
Philosophy:
- theory of behavior, thought, knowledge and nature of the universe;
- includes logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics;
- contains general principles or laws of the field of knowledge;
- It is a system of principles of behavior;
- engaged in the study of human morality, character and behavior.
Knowledge:
- action, fact or state of knowledge;
- familiarization with a fact or essence;
- awareness;
- understanding;
- everything that was perceived by the mind;
- training and education;
- a complex of facts, principles, etc., accumulated by mankind;
- posterior knowledge (obtained as a result of research);
- knowledge gained from experience;
- a priori knowledge (obtained before experience and independently of it).
Epistemology:
- study of the nature, sources and limits of knowledge;
- determination of the possibility of human knowledge;
- analytical and synthetic judgments.
- epistemological fact: our perception somehow responds to the facts presented so that the response satisfies some general conditions.
Ontology: the theory of being as such.
Philosophical foundations of scientific knowledge
The philosophical understanding of law is the task of a special scientific and educational discipline - the philosophy of law, which has its own subject of study and categorical apparatus.
During the consideration of the problems of the theory of law during the transition from the "analytical" stage of development of the theory to a higher, "instrumental", that is, the logic of law itself, new facets of law, enrichment of all general theoretical knowledge, begin to be highlighted. Such development also occurs during the transition to the level of legal philosophy, which forms the foundations of legal science.
In modern philosophy, a variety of problems are considered that affect the economic life of society, which implies the existence of property relations, distribution, exchange and consumption. Through philosophical approaches to the economic life of society, you can try to determine the sources of development of economic life, identify the relationship between objective and subjective parties in economic processes, determine the possibility of coexistence in society of the economic interests of various social groups, the relationship between reforms and revolutions in the economic life of society, etc. .
Science and society
Scientific knowledge is not only influenced by one or another level of technological and economic development of society. Social forces also influence research directions, which greatly complicates the description of scientific progress. Another factor that interferes with process analysis is the intricate relationship between individual knowledge and social knowledge.
The social foundations of science are due to the fact that science is essentially a social enterprise, in contrast to the popular stereotype of science as an isolated process of searching for truth. With a few exceptions, research cannot be performed without using or working with other people. This inevitably occurs in a broad social and historical context, which determines the nature, direction and ultimately the significance of the work of individual scientists.
So, this article examined the social and philosophical foundations of science.