The Nature of Science: Concepts, Criteria, and Categories

Defining Science

Science is a type of knowledge distinct from ordinary knowledge. Ordinary knowledge often focuses on the result of an event, whereas a scientist questions its cause. Science establishes relationships between concepts and formulates laws, asserting that these relationships occur regularly.

Understanding Knowledge

A person knows an event if and only if:

• The subject believes in that event.
• The subject's belief in the event is rationally justified.
• The event is true.

Scientific Knowledge

The scientific community knows a theory if and only if:

• The scientific community believes in this theory.
• The scientific community's belief in that theory is rational and scientifically justified.

These conditions are also necessary; the scientific community accepts a law only if it is supported by the majority.

Demarcation Criteria

These criteria serve to differentiate between science and pseudoscience. Current demarcation criteria include:

• Rigorous Language: Using terms that are precisely defined and have a clear referent.
• Systematicity: Science addresses its issues in a systematic manner, consistently applying a defined method.
• Inclusion of Laws and Theories: For science to progress, its laws and theories must be refined and renewed as necessary, becoming more precise and better defined to establish regularities and make predictions.
• Consistency: Science must be consistent, free from implied or explicit contradictions.
• Verifiability or Empirical Testability: This is arguably the most important feature, as scientific claims must be empirically testable.

Classification of Sciences

There are various sciences, such as mathematics, sociology, physics, and medicine, which adhere to or extend beyond the criteria of demarcation.

• Formal Sciences (Conventional): Examples include mathematics and logic. These sciences do not directly describe physical reality and thus cannot be empirically tested; they are products of human intellect and abstract reasoning.
• Empirical Sciences: These sciences rely on experimentation, though exceptions exist. They are broadly distinguished into human sciences and natural sciences, which are further divided into theoretical and applied branches.