Science is considered as a holistic, developing system that has its own foundations, has its own ideals and norms of research. These characteristics are characteristic of science not only as a specific form of activity. But also as a set of disciplinary knowledge, and as a social institution.
What is science
Science is a special type of activity, the essence of which lies in the actually verified and logically ordered knowledge of objects and processes of the surrounding reality. This activity is associated with goal-setting and decision-making, choice and responsibility.
Science can also be represented as a system of knowledge, which is determined by such criteria as objectivity, adequacy, truth. Science strives to be autonomous. And also to maintain neutrality in relation to ideological and political attitudes. Truth is considered the main goal and value of science, its basis.
Science cantreated as:
- social institution;
- method;
- knowledge accumulation process;
- production development factor;
- one of the factors in the formation of a person's beliefs and his attitude to the environment.
Foundations
Despite the deep specialization of modern science, all scientific knowledge meets certain standards and is based on common grounds. The concept of the foundations of science is represented by fundamental principles, conceptual apparatus, ideals, norms and standards of scientific research. It is believed that science is determined by the scientific picture of the world underlying its foundations. Accordingly, it can be considered as a fundamental basis. Consider the main problems.
The problem of the foundations of science
Until recently, scientists, research institutes and government agencies relied solely on a system of self-regulation based on shared ethical principles and generally accepted research practices to ensure integrity in the research process. Among the main principles that guide scientists are respect for the integrity of knowledge, collegiality, honesty, objectivity and openness. These principles operate in the fundamental elements of the scientific method, such as formulating a hypothesis, designing an experiment to test a hypothesis, and collecting and interpreting data. In addition, more specific principles specific to certain disciplines affect:
- observation methods;
- acquisition, storage, management and exchange of data;
- transfer of scientific knowledge and information;
- training young scientists.
How these principles are applied varies greatly among several scientific disciplines, different research organizations and individual researchers.
The basic and specific principles that guide the methods of scientific research exist primarily in an unwritten code of ethics. They are the scientific foundation of the Academy of Sciences and any other scientific institution. Currently, there are many informal and formal practices and procedures in the academic research environment. Those based on fundamental principles.
Scientific picture of the world
It is an integral system of ideas relating to the general properties and laws of nature. It is also the result of a generalization and synthesis of the basic natural science concepts and principles.
Science is based on the analysis of observations made either through our senses or using special equipment. Therefore, science cannot explain anything about the natural world, which is beyond the observable.
The scientific picture of the world can be called a special form of theoretical scientific knowledge, representing the subject of research in accordance with the stage of historical development.
Fundamental Principles
On a general level, the sciences have much in common, a set of what can be called epistemological or fundamentalprinciples that guide scientific research. They include the search for conceptual (theoretical) understanding, the formulation of empirically testable and refutable hypotheses, the development of studies, the testing and elimination of competing counter-hypotheses. For this, observational methods associated with the theory are used, which allow other scientists to check their accuracy, recognize the importance of both independent replication and generalize them. It is highly unlikely that any of these studies will have all of these qualities. However, scientific research combines the primacy of empirical hypothesis testing and formal assertions using well-codified observational methods, rigorous constructs, and peer review.
Ideals and norms
The system of ideals and norms of the foundations of modern science are ideals and norms related to:
- explanation and description;
- evidence and validity of knowledge;
- building and organizing knowledge.
These aspects can be interpreted in two ways: they are influenced, on the one hand, by the specifics of the objects they study, and, on the other hand, by the specific historical conditions of a given era. Despite the close relationship, these categories should not be identified.
The norm, in fact, is a typical, average rule, indicates the obligation and obligation. The ideal is the highest standard form of development that goes beyond the norm. The norm must be realized everywhere, while the realization of the idealcannot be universal. It is more of a guide. By means of the norm, the limits within which the goals are realized are set. The ideal is the highest point of coincidence of goals and values. Norms can change and transform, the nature of the ideal is more stable, since the perfect model of knowledge serves as a guide.
Science and Philosophy
The philosophical foundations of science include a number of definitions, each of which has several components.
Philosophy:
- theory of behavior, thought, knowledge and the nature of the universe;
- includes logic, epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics;
- contains the general principles or laws of a field of knowledge;
- is a system of principles of conduct;
- engaged in the study of human morality, character and behavior.
Knowledge:
- action, fact or state of knowledge;
- acquaintance with a fact or essence;
- awareness;
- understanding;
- everything that was perceived by the mind;
- training and education;
- complex of facts, principles, etc. accumulated by mankind;
- a posteriori knowledge (obtained as a result of research);
- knowledge from experience;
- a priori knowledge (obtained before experience and independently of it).
Epistemology:
- studying the nature, sources and limits of knowledge;
- determining the possibility of human knowledge;
- analytical and synthetic judgments.
- gnoseological fact: our perception somehow responds to the facts presented so that the response satisfies some general conditions.
Ontology: the theory of being as such.
Philosophical foundations of scientific knowledge
Philosophical understanding of law is the task of a special scientific and educational discipline - the philosophy of law, which has its own subject of study and categorical apparatus.
In the course of considering the problems of the theory of law in the transition from the "analytical" stage of development of the theory to a higher, "instrumental", that is, the actual logic of law, new facets of law begin to emerge, enrichment of all general theoretical knowledge. Such development also occurs during the transition to the level of philosophy of law, which forms the foundations of legal science.
Modern philosophy deals with a variety of problems affecting the economic life of society, which implies the existence of property relations, distribution, exchange and consumption. Through philosophical approaches to the economic life of society, one can try to determine the sources of development of economic life, identify the relationship between objective and subjective aspects in economic processes, determine the possibility of coexistence in society of the economic interests of various social groups, the relationship between reforms and revolutions in the economic life of society, etc..
Science and society
Scientific knowledge is not only influenced by this or that leveltechnological and economic development of society. Social forces also influence the direction of research, making it much more difficult to describe scientific progress. Another factor that hinders process analysis is the confusing relationship between individual knowledge and social knowledge.
The social foundations of science stem from the fact that science is inherently a social enterprise, as opposed to the popular stereotype of science as an isolated process of seeking truth. With a few exceptions, scientific research cannot be done without drawing on or collaborating with other people's work. This inevitably takes place within a broad social and historical context that defines the nature, direction, and ultimately significance of the work of individual scientists.
So, in this article, the social and philosophical foundations of science were considered.
