Early philosophy
The scientific method: separates the scientific approach from other approaches, a
scientist's way of getting at the principles (the "truth") behind the material
universe "science as a way of knowing"
Some common steps to the scientific method (not universally agreed upon)
- observations
- hypothesis
- often framed as a null hypothesis
- experimentation
- theory
Limits of Science Science is a very useful tool, an elegant
approach to understand the natural world, but it has its limitations
- science can not answer "ultimate questions"
- science cannot make moral judgements
Vitalism vs. mechanism
Revolutions and paradigms: a paradigm is an accepted, consistent view of the world,
an accepted, broad hypothesis
Spontaneous generation
- Pasteur-showed by experimentation that the organisms grew from dormant stages of
pre-existing organisms that colonized the food
- Biogenetic law: under today's conditions, all life arises from pre-existing life
Characteristics of Life
"ologies of science"-the natural world is so mind boggling complex that no one
can successfully become comfortable in all disciplines
Biologists as a group are people who are fascinated with how living things-so what are
living things ?
No good answer! What are the characteristics of Life?
- complex organization
- homeostasis
- metabolism
- growth
- responsiveness/irritability
- reproduction
- adaptation
Comments or questions about this section of Western Online should be
directed to jackjd@wkuvx1.wku.edu
Last Modified: Oct. 24, 1995
All contents copyright (C) 1995.
Western Kentucky University.
