Difference between revisions of "Historical science"
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| − | '''Historical science''' aims to describe phenomena of the past and reconstruct their causes.<ref>{{Cite book | + | '''Historical science''' aims to describe phenomena of the unobservable past and reconstruct their [[Cause and effect|causes]].<ref>{{Cite book |
| author=Laudan, R. | chapter=What's so Special about the Past? | page=58 | | author=Laudan, R. | chapter=What's so Special about the Past? | page=58 | ||
| title=History and Evolution | editor=Nitecki, M.H., and Nitecki, D.V. | year=1992 | | title=History and Evolution | editor=Nitecki, M.H., and Nitecki, D.V. | year=1992 | ||
| − | | url= | + | | url=https://books.google.com/?id=kyLRtsvLS2AC&pg=PA55&dq=%22What%27s+so+Special+about+the+Past%22+laudan&q=%22What%27s%20so%20Special%20about%20the%20Past%22%20laudan | accessdate=7 February 2010 |
| publisher=SUNY Press | isbn=0791412113 | | publisher=SUNY Press | isbn=0791412113 | ||
}}</ref> | }}</ref> | ||
| − | + | Whenever science tries to explain a unique historical event or past phenomena, careful testing and repricability are ''by definition'' impossible.<ref>{{cite book | |
| + | |author=Michael J.Behe | ||
| + | |title=Darwin’s black box, the biochemical challenge to the evolution. P.X Preface | ||
| + | |publisher= Free press | ||
| + | |place=NY | ||
| + | |year=2006 | ||
| + | |pages=242 | ||
| + | |isbn=9780743290319 | ||
| + | |url= | ||
| + | |quote= }}</ref> Instead, historical scientists try to construct a set of [[hypothesis|hypotheses]] about the causes and then look for a so-called [[Smoking gun (scientific discourse)|"smoking gun"]], a piece of evidence which indicates that one of the hypotheses might be a better [[Explanation in science|explanation]] than the others.<ref>{{Cite journal | ||
| author=Cleland, C.E. | | author=Cleland, C.E. | ||
| title=Methodological and Epistemic Differences between Historical Science and Experimental Science | | title=Methodological and Epistemic Differences between Historical Science and Experimental Science | ||
| Line 22: | Line 31: | ||
| year= 2008 | | year= 2008 | ||
| isbn = 978-0-06-147279-2 | | isbn = 978-0-06-147279-2 | ||
| − | | pages = | + | | pages = 150–153 |
| url=http://books.google.no/books?id=RUGKBdKawDUC&dq=signature+in+the+cell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k4o9T-HHFaSF4gTYqpSSCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ | | url=http://books.google.no/books?id=RUGKBdKawDUC&dq=signature+in+the+cell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=k4o9T-HHFaSF4gTYqpSSCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAQ | ||
| − | | quote= Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.}}</ref> Historical scientists use type of reasoning named [[abductive reasoning|abduction]] | + | | quote= Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.}}</ref> Historical scientists commonly use: |
| + | *(i) the type of reasoning named ''[[abductive reasoning|abduction]]'',<ref name="Signature"/> | ||
| + | *(ii) ''[[Inference to the Best Explanation|inference to the best explanation]]'' and | ||
| + | *(iii) ''[[Analogy|argument from analogy]]''.<ref name="LENNOX">{{cite book | ||
| + | |author=John C. Lennox | ||
| + | |title=God's undertaker. Has science buried God? | ||
| + | |publisher=Lion Hudson | ||
| + | |location=Oxford, England | ||
| + | |year=2009 | ||
| + | |pages=204 | ||
| + | |url= | ||
| + | |isbn=978-0-7459-5371-7 | ||
| + | |quote=}}</ref> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
| Line 37: | Line 58: | ||
[[Category:History]] | [[Category:History]] | ||
[[Category:Science]] | [[Category:Science]] | ||
| − | [[ | + | [[Category:Scientific Disciplines]] |
| − | [[ | + | [[Category:Methodology of Science]] |
Latest revision as of 17:27, September 26, 2018
Historical science aims to describe phenomena of the unobservable past and reconstruct their causes.[1]
Whenever science tries to explain a unique historical event or past phenomena, careful testing and repricability are by definition impossible.[2] Instead, historical scientists try to construct a set of hypotheses about the causes and then look for a so-called "smoking gun", a piece of evidence which indicates that one of the hypotheses might be a better explanation than the others.[3][4] Historical scientists commonly use:
- (i) the type of reasoning named abduction,[4]
- (ii) inference to the best explanation and
- (iii) argument from analogy.[5]
References
- ↑ Laudan, R. (1992). "What's so Special about the Past?", in Nitecki, M.H., and Nitecki, D.V.: History and Evolution. SUNY Press. ISBN 0791412113. Retrieved on 7 February 2010.
- ↑ Michael J.Behe (2006). Darwin’s black box, the biochemical challenge to the evolution. P.X Preface. Free press, 242. ISBN 9780743290319.
- ↑ Cleland, C.E. (September 2002). "Methodological and Epistemic Differences between Historical Science and Experimental Science" (PDF). Philosophy of Science 69: 474–496. http://spot.colorado.edu/~cleland/articles/Cleland.PS.Pdf. Retrieved 25.1.2012.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Meyer, Stephen C. (2008). Signature in the Cell. New York: HarperOne, 150–153. ISBN 978-0-06-147279-2. “Gould ... emphasized that historical scientist tested their theories by evaluating their explanatory power.”
- ↑ John C. Lennox (2009). God's undertaker. Has science buried God?. Oxford, England: Lion Hudson, 204. ISBN 978-0-7459-5371-7.