17 Summary
In this chapter, we explored some fundamental ideas about absolute knowledge and whether this is possible to attain. We looked at problems with sensation, induction and theory-ladeness. We learned that fallibilism is the currently accepted conception concerning the possibility of absolute empirical knowledge and the differentiated between the formal and empirical sciences.
Key Takeaways
- One needs to conduct experiments and observations to check if a scientific law is true.
- Analytic propositions are either definitions or deducible from definitions. Since analytic propositions are true by definition, they can never contradict the results of experiments and observations.
- Synthetic propositions are ones that are not deducible merely from the definitions of their concepts. Because they are not deducible from the definitions of their concepts alone, they can potentially contradict the results of observations and experiments.
- In empirical sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, sociology, or economics, there are both analytic and synthetic propositions
- In formal sciences, such as logic or mathematics, all propositions are analytic.
- Fallibilism means that absolute empirical knowledge is not possible.
- Fallibilism is the currently accepted conception concerning the possibility of absolute empirical knowledge. It opposes the conception of infallibilism which holds that empirical science can provide absolute knowledge
Acknowledgements
Parts of this chapter were adapted from the following Open Education Resources:
Barseghyan, H., Overgaard, N., & Rupik, G. (2018) Introduction to History and Philosophy of Science. Open Library, eCampus Ontario. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/introhps/chapter/chapter-2-absolute-knowledge/
