RE: Generally speaking, is philosophy a worthwhile subject of study?
February 26, 2022 at 2:49 pm
(February 26, 2022 at 11:29 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Everything isn't philosophy - but people using logical principles to make inferences from sound premises derived by observable data are, explicitly, doing philosophy.
I strongly disagree here. Scientists also do this. Philosophy, on the other hand, tends to ignore the objective evidence and use premises that may or may not be sound.
Quote: Science is inductive inference. It is, in my opinion, the single greatest logical tool ever devised by man, and devised very specifically, to provide answers to fundamental questions about ourselves, others, our relationships to others, and our environment.
No, Science is far more than simply inductive inference. it is the commitment to *test* all ideas with observation. That is the crucial step that helps reduce the effect of confirmation bias.
The step of doing inductive inference is the stage of generating *hypotheses*. That is not the end. it is the beginning. Those hypotheses need to be tested and retested and pushed to their breaking point in a determined way. That is where the confidence that they are valid comes from.
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-as far as metaphysics from modern physics. I enjoyed ann druyans "first, you build a cloud" - mind you, I'm trying to stick to untedious stuff that people might be familiar with or want to read. You could find the tedious scholarly articles you're looking for by searching their peer reviewed journals.
I saw a book with that title by a journalist, K. C. Cole. Google scholar gives some articles by someone with the same name on polymers. Not particularly relevant material, I think.