Truth and science education

ABSTRACT:

Sceptics, relativists and other deniers of truth do science a great injustice. Timid science teachers – who fear the consequences if they lay claim to truth – do the discipline of science a great wrong.

The root of the difficulty is a lack of understanding about the nature of science. Constructivist theories of science, which are hegemonic in Western education, inevitably undervalue science. Science disappears as another culture.

To penetrate the nature of science you must grapple with truth. This paper uses Newton’s engagement with optics as an example to show what modern science is in and of itself. It distinguishes modern science from other forms of enquiry and suggests how the science curriculum might be reformed to restore modern science to its rightful place in Western education.

A b r i e f a c c o u n t o f t h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e

T r u t hT h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r yD i s c o v e r y a s t r u t h

T r u t h i n m o d e r n s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c sN e w t o n

I m p l i c a t i o n sP h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eS c i e n c e e d u c a t i o nN e w Z e a l a n d t e a c h i n g r e s o u r c e

Today

Three schools o f thought:

Posi t iv ist

Construct ivist

Phenomenological

Philosophy of science

Heidegger’s concept of truth

Correspondence

Disclosure

T r u t hT h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r yD i s c o v e r y a s t r u t h

T r u t h i n m o d e r n s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c sN e w t o n

I m p l i c a t i o n sP h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eS c i e n c e e d u c a t i o nN e w Z e a l a n d t e a c h i n g r e s o u r c e

Today

Three characteristics of modern science

1 F r a m e w o r k / g r o u n d p l a nP r e - l o g i cPe r c e p t i o nM e a s u r a b l e o b j e c t sT h e R e a l

2 Fo r c e n a t u r e t o r e v e a l m o r e o f i t s e l fFo l l o w p r o c e d u r e sE q u i p m e n tE v e n t o f t r u t hI n d i v i d u a lPe r c e p t i o n

3 C o n s e q u e n c e s o f d i s c l o s u r e sL i t e r a t u r eI n s t i t u t i o n sWo r k f o r c e

Newton’s optics

166422 year s - o ldTr i n i t y Co l l ege

Q u e s t i o n e s q u æ d a m P h i l o s o p h i æC e r t a i n p h i l o s o p h i c a l q u e s t i o n s

A m i c u s P l a t o a m i c u s A r i s t o t e l e s m a g i s a m i c a v e r i t a sP l a t o a n d A r i s t o t l e a r e m y f r i e n d s , b u t t r u t h i s a b e t t e r f r i e n d

Newton’s opticsTruth as correspondence

1692 1704

1667 Fe l l ow a t T r in i t y

Co l l ege

1666

1666

1672 Roya l Soc i e ty

Newton’s opticsTruth as disclosure

T r u t hT h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r yD i s c o v e r y a s t r u t h

T r u t h i n m o d e r n s c i e n c eH e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c sN e w t o n

I m p l i c a t i o n sP h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c eS c i e n c e e d u c a t i o nN e w Z e a l a n d t e a c h i n g r e s o u r c e

Today

Pos i t i v i s t s & cons t r uc t i v i s t s

Re la t i v i sm

Techno l ogy

Per pe tu at i on o f sc i en ce

B i o l ogyDNA / Co l d Spr i ng Har bor

Mande lbr o t ’ s f r ac ta l s

Implications- philosophy of science

T r u t h

D e m o n s t r a t i o n s E x p e r i m e n t s S i m u l a t i o n s

H y p o t h e s i s

M a t h e m a t i c a l m o d e l s

S c i e n t i fi c m e t h o d

C u r r i c u l u m s t r u c t u r e

S c i e n c e l i t e r a c y

N a t u r e o f s c i e n c e

Implications- science education

Truth and science education

THANK YOU

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