[MD] Alternatives to the scientific method

Fri Jul 27 05:58:01 PDT 2007

Platt, 
This lot is nonsense, the scientific method is as I laid it out and no more. 
Which scientists stated their position to be thus? Methinks these ones are made of straw.
If anything all these "isms" (apart from rationalism and possibly empiricism) are completely at odds with the beloved method and the rest I think you just made up on the fly ! 
If there's a confounding experimental outcome, the hypothesis is rejected, thats what scientists think, nothing more.

Look everyone:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: moq_discuss-bounces at lists.moqtalk.org
> [mailto:moq_discuss-bounces at lists.moqtalk.org]On Behalf Of
> pholden at davtv.com
> Sent: 27 July 2007 13:26
> To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
> Subject: Re: [MD] Alternatives to the scientific method
> 
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> Lest we forget:
> 
> Faith-based metaphysical assumptions of the scientific worldview:
> 
> a. Determinism-all effects emerge from prior natural causes - incomaptible with quantum theory, simple cause effect relationships are not valid. 
> 
> b. Rationalism-the intellectual engine that drives scientific inquiry - ok fair cop
> 
> c. Reductionism-complex phenomena can be explained by 
> isolating simple elements and
> processes -  Incompatible with observations of chaotic systems in particular fluid dynamics.
> 
> d. Empiricism-reality grounded in sensory phenomena - Is there a problem with this one?

> e. Materialism-matter/energy is the source of all phenomena 
> including human intelligence. - wide ranging debate on this one , you have a handfull of scientist/philosophers like Dennet and Dawkins who go out on a limb, but its hardly representative of a whole community. Again "the method" forces one to look for potentially confounding experiments and in this instance they abound - please see various books by RMP
> 
> f. Externalism-nature and its laws exists independent of 
> human observation - incompatible with observations of quantum effects and in particular copenhagen  interpretation, this is now 80 years old - Platt please try to stay apace of modern developments.
> 
> g. Mechanism-basic processes stem from causes that can often 
> be formulated in
> mathematical terms - Maths is just language done digital, in fact your implied criticism is the wrong way around, theres lots that can only be described mathematically and has no real linguistic analogue - please see RMP SODV paper and comments on neils Bohr et al 
> 
> h. Experimentalism-models of cause and effect must be tested 
> by repeated measurements - "must be"? This is just pragmatism, cant incorporate something into a hypothesis untill you have resaonble confidence in its validity. 
> 
> i. Evolutionism-continuous development is brought about by 
> blind chance and natural
> selection - this is one particular scientific theory, true a very significant one, but it does not define the method.
> 
> j. Emergentism-some phenomena occur as the result of 
> self-organizing patterns - same as above, but doesn't this conflict with your assertion of reductionism?
> 
> k. Conditionalism-new discoveries may invalidate current theories - anything "may" happen its hardly a belief.
> 
> To defend their faith, some scientists and many of their 
> acolytes mock, demonize and
> marginalize competing views, using highly emotive language 
> and implying that all
> "intelligent" people must agree with them.
> 
> Platt
> 

Demonize !???!!!

> 
> 
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