Artykuły

Tom 6 Nr 2 (2011)

O tym, co decyduje o naukowości badań przyrodniczych

Wojciech Sady
PDF

Abstrakt

What determines the scientific character of natural studies

In the history of mankind there were two global revolutions. The first one started around twelve thousand years ago when farming and cultivation began. The second one started in the 17th century from the series of books concerning natural phenomena: it formulated the rules governing these phenomena and articulated the description of processes subjected to these rules. The knowledge on this topic was generated from the experiments utilizing the most scientific technical means available to man at that time. And in return the knowledge hence gained was utilized practically. The scientific revolution could not have happened earlier because it was only after the European Christian revolution of the 16th century that the group of producers appeared focused on further investing of the received income, and they quickly realized the practical advantages of utilizing the knowledge about nature.The criterion of demarcation of what we call science can only be met by the naturalistic theory. Secondly, only axiologically neutral theory can aspire to be ‘scientific’. The science studies the world but it cannot evaluate if anything is right or wrong. The methodological naturalism and axiological neutrality are one of the sine qua non conditions of the scientific character.