NationStates Jolt Archive

Following the thread HotRodia created earlier, and his suggestion (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12357458&postcount=37) to further expand on it with regard to method and epistemology by creating a thread anew, comes this thread.

HotRodia and others within the thread rose some interesting points. Indeed, inductive reasoning does have certain faults - my question, then, to those who criticize the method and epistemology currently used by the sciences is what do they propose in their stead? Others are welcome to post their thoughts too. I will not be contributing too much to the thread - merely observing.

okay so I totally misread the thread title.......instead of epistemology, I read episiotomy LOL :p sorry.

I think I need to sleep.

okay so I totally misread the thread title.......instead of epistemology, I read episiotomy LOL :p sorry.

I think I need to sleep.
No biggy. If anything, you helped bump the thread. :p

My proposal for an alternative method to current scientific inductive method (which method is expressed in more detail in the thread EM linked to) is thus:

Because the problem of induction is that we cannot empirically justify induction (the idea that past experiments tell us what will happen in future events) without appealing to that same idea and thus begging the question, there is a fairly obvious solution. Simply remove the predictive element from science.

That is to say, conduct direct observation of phenomena without making any prediction you are looking to verify or falsify. Rather than looking for a pattern, collect data, and if a pattern emerges then make note of it, but not as a prediction for the future.