Philosophy & Science

1.

A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Philosophy & The
Scientific Mind
Tracing the main trends in Western philosophy and their
profound influence on the development of modern
science.

2.

The Epistemological Foundation
Science did not emerge in a vacuum; it is the practical application of philosophical logic.
2.5K
1
Years of Inquiry
Core Question
Continuous refinement of rational thought.
How do we acquire reliable knowledge?

3.

ANTIQUITY
Ancient Greek Origins
Aristotelian Logic
Formalization of deductive reasoning systems.
Early Empiricism
Systematic observation of biological phenomena.
Platonic Forms
Mathematics as the underlying reality.

4.

The Scientific Revolution
A fundamental philosophical shift in approaching nature.
Scholasticism
The New Science
• Focus on why things happen (teleology).
• Focus on how things happen (mechanics).
• Reliance on ancient authority.
• Reliance on empirical evidence.
• Qualitative descriptions of nature.
• Quantitative, mathematical laws.

5.

17TH - 18TH CENTURY
The Rise of Empiricism
Francis Bacon
John Locke
David Hume
Pioneered the inductive scientific
method.
Mind as a blank slate (tabula rasa).
Philosophical skepticism regarding
causality.

6.

RATIONALISM
"I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes
Mathematics as the universal language.
Deduction from absolute axiomatic truths.

7.

THE SYNTHESIS
Immanuel Kant
Uniting Empiricism and Rationalism.
Human cognition shapes observation.
Space and time are structural intuitions.

8.

20TH CENTURY
Logical Positivism
The Vienna Circle's attempt to purify science from metaphysics.
The Verification Principle
Statements are meaningful only if empirically verifiable.
Language of Science
Reduction of all scientific disciplines to physics and mathematics.

9.

Falsification
Karl Popper
Science progresses not by proving theories right, but by
actively attempting to prove them wrong.
Unfalsifiable claims are unscientific.
Continuous rigorous testing required.
Test &
Reject

10.

Paradigm Shifts
Thomas Kuhn: Scientific progress is revolutionary, not purely cumulative.
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Normal Science
Crisis
Revolution
Operating within accepted framework.
Unexplained anomalies accumulate.
New paradigm abruptly established.

11.

Modern Intersections
Quantum Ontology
AI & Ethics
Physics challenging classical deterministic reality.
Moral philosophy guiding algorithmic design.

12.

CONCLUSION
Science is philosophy in continuous, rigorous
action.
Questions & Discussion

13.

Image Sources
https://brewminate.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/PorchMaidens01.jpg
Source: brewminate.com
https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/1259.jpg
Source: www.worldhistory.org
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Source: www.etsy.com
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Source: learningmole.com
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Source: stockcake.com