Scientific Realism

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the fundamentals of the faith-based scientific ideology, scientific realism. The author takes a close look at the ideas and opinions of realists and anti-realists concluding that anti-realists, though many of their criticisms are valid, are often as likely to fall prey to the same lack of critical evaluation that they claim to plague scientific realism.

From the Paper:

"Mach's argument could have been improved if he failed to accept contemporary arguments for the existence of sub-molecular particles until evidence existed that proved him wrong. In doing so, he would evoke a methodology in modern thought that many find credible: that which holds that scientific realism lacks the weight of true evidence and is more the matter of opinion than of critical inquiry and objective thought.

Scientific realism is a faith-based scientific ideology, one that maintains that we are warranted in believing in the unseen if it is posited by best explained and most popular scientific theories, which dominate by sheer weight of authority. In this sense it creates a mutualistic error - in trusting the consensus of beliefs among others were are most likely to emulate their mistakes. While mired in dogma, we can't purport to achieve paradigm changes in thought or in reaching a new and better methodology with which to evaluate and comprehend phenomena both material and immaterial. Although the discourse of empiricists remains of interest to us, it must be remembered that every new scientific idea that is posited as contrary to existing beliefs of the nature of science and existence faces not only critical inquiry but also the inertia maintained by generations of adherents that revere even the least factually justifiable ideologies."

More papers on Scientific Realism:

• Article Review # 101234 : "Larry Lauden's 'A Confutation of Convergent Realism'"
• Essay # 137640 : "Analyzing the Theme of Magical Realism of Healing Rites in So Far From God by Ana Castillo "
• Analytical Essay # 131217 : "The Problem of Reference: Laudan Challenges the Realists"

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