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.
25
Embed
Truth and science education ABSTRACT: Sceptics, relativists and other deniers of truth do science a great injustice. Timid science teachers – who fear.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
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 h
T h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r y
D 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 e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
N e w t o n
I m p l i c a t i o n s
P h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
S c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n
N 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 of thought:
Posit iv ist
Construct iv ist
Phenomenological
Philosophy of science
Heidegger’s concept of truth
Correspondence
Disclosure
T r u t h
T h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r y
D 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 e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
N e w t o n
I m p l i c a t i o n s
P h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
S c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n
N 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 in 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 h
T h e p h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s t h e o r y
D 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 e
H e i d e g g e r ’ s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
N e w t o n
I m p l i c a t i o n s
P h i l o s o p h y o f s c i e n c e
S c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n
N 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 ruc t i v i s t s
Re la t i v i sm
Techno logy
Perpe tua t i on o f s c i ence
B io l ogyDNA / Co ld Spr ing Harbor
Mande lbro 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