Knowledge clips
PARADIGM
A scientific achievement that serves as an example for others to follow. Society (scientists)
needs to accept a new concept to convert in a paradigm shift. If society does not accept the
change or a new finding, knowledge can be repressed. For instance, the big bang in history
was according of scientists true but society did not accept it.
THEORY DEPENDENCE OF OBSERVATION
Observation is guided by concepts and ideas. Observations comes interpreted; we do not see
dots and lines in out visual fields, bus instead see or less recognizable objects and patterns.
Example is: the light of the star would bend due to the
gravitational field of the sun.
POSITIVISM
Using observation to construct theories and facts.
EPISTEMIC CULTURES
How we know, it differs in every kind of science. Political science looks at for example your
own interest or your political preference. When in medical science you look at numbers and
facts. It is how you look at science and what you believe are within your discipline. Within
your discipline you can have multiple epistemic cultures. the meaning of terms, ideas,
and actions is connected to the cultures and practices from which they stem. Disciplines are
‘’epistemic cultures’’.
SOCIAL CONTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE
Your believes and ideas are based on your social environment, how you’re raised, or for
instance religion.
ACTOR NETWORK THEORY (ANT)
Tries to explore how non-humans (tech) and humans that can form networks, to produce
knowledge within the view of science. It is more a way of doing research to create a structure
and an overview of a complex problem. To be aware what the interactions are between
actors instead the heaviness of the interactions.
, What is science?
Science communication in a post-truth society
‘’STS’s detailed accounts of the construction of knowledge show that it requires
infrastructure, effort, ingenuity, and validation structures.’’
Basics of STS
- There are multiple views on wat science is.
- Communication in or about science is one of those views.
- Reflection on the nature of science can help you when thinking about communication
about science.
The colloquial image of science I – Logical positivism
Science consists of the systematic combination of empirical observation (induction) and
logical deduction, which produces reliable knowledge about the world. Autonomy –
scientific research and its output are not influenced by external factors (policy, money)/
neutrality – scientists are not led by personal views, interests, or ideologies in their research
choices or data interpretations. Factuality – values and norms don’t play a role in scientific
arguments.
Logical positivism
Logical analysis of language, to distinguish what is meaningful from what is
meaningless.
What is meaningful? ‘’Verification theory of meaning’’: only statements of which one
can say when they are true or false, are meaningful.
Unify al sciences, using one logical (artificial, formal) language.
No place for anything that is not observable (including for instance ‘’causation’’ and
‘’mechanisms’’).
Logical positivism fails because; the truth of universal statements, such as the laws of
physics, cannot be verified. Hence, the laws of physics are meaningless according to Logical
Positivism. With is focus on ‘’verification’’ it rests on induction, but induction can’t be
logically justified. Logical positivism assumes we immediately observe ‘’the empirically
given’’, whereas in fact all observation is theory laden.
The colloquial of science II – Flasificationism
Karl’s Popper’s theory: context of discovery – theory; scientists are free to choose or develop
their theories in any way they want context of justification – theory (deduce basis
statement); potential falsifier.
Option 1: accept basic statement, reject theory (falsification).
Option 2: do not accept basic statemen, do not reject theory (corroboration).
