Video Lecture For B.tech

Video Lectures for MBA
By:
Video.edhole.com
Theoretical Issues in Psychology
Philosophy of Science
and
Philosophy of Mind
for
Psychologists
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Aims of the book
Review of basic ideas and problems in

philosophy of science and philosophy
of mind, relevant for psychologists.
Psychology as science of mind:
what is science? Chapters 15.
what is mind? Chapters 610.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Chapter 1
Science: why and how?
Why science?
Knowledge
Arguments
Laws, theories, models and causes
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Why and how?

Demarcating science:
science as arbiter of objectivity and truth;
demarcating science from pseudoscience;
science as safeguard against propaganda and
superstition.
Objectivity vs subjectivity or human construction:

realism, foundationalism, objectivism (positivism Ch. 3).
relativism (social constructionism, sociology of science
Ch. 4 and 5).
But what defines science?

Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
What defines science?

Reduction: underlying causal structure explains
macro-phenomena; this research produces
Unification; and promotes
Systematicity.
Critical attitude: against authority and dogma;

inspires freedom of thought, advances enlightenment
and
Open-mindedness.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Theories of truth
Traditional theories of truth:
Correspondence theory of truth
Coherence theory of truth
Recent theories of truth:
Consensus theory of truth
Pragmatic theory of truth
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Correspondence theory: a statement or belief

is true if it corresponds with a situation,
an event or an object in reality, or in the world
(realism objectivism)
There is a cat
on the mat!
=>
correspondence
Video.edhole.com
Coherence theory: a statement or belief is

called true if it is coherent with other beliefs
(knowledge) that one
has (idealism / relativism)
coherent
There is a cat!
Video.edhole.com
with
A cat is a mammal of
the genus Felix;
a pet animal,
with a soft skin,
that likes to be carressed
etc., etc.
Recent theories of truth

Consensus theory: truth is a social
or cultural consent or approval
(relativism / social-constructionism)
Pragmatic theory: a belief or theory is true or

reliable if it has success in practice; if it can be
established by experience (experiments)
Video.edhole.com
Views on world & knowledge

Realism:
world exists knower-independent;
world is primary;
knowledge pictures the objective world (representing);
truth is correspondence between knowledge and world.
Relativism (an extreme version: Idealism):

world is (partly) constructed by the knower (subject);
subject is primary;
knowing is constructing;
truth is coherence with the rest of knowledge, or consensus.
Pragmatism:
knowledge is functional and active, coping with the world;
truth is practically, experientially successful.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
11
A problem for realism: Gods eye view

How to compare the world with a theory, since one can
never get outside ones theory (opinion)? Irony: only in
Gods eye can correspondence be assessed.
OK
!
World
Video.edhole.com
correspondence
B&LdeJ
Theory
12
Pragmatic realism
Hillary Putnam (pragmatic realism): the mind
and the world jointly make up the mind and the
world (cf. Kant)
World
features
World
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
Categories,
interests
13
Everyday knowledge and science

Eddingtons Two Tables:
molecules, empty, weightless, colorless;
visible, solid, colored everyday object.
What is the real table? Everyday world as illusion?
Everyday knowledge and scientific knowledge:
manifest vs scientific image (Sellars);
i.e. visible vs underlying, explanatory image
(bv. water H2O; depression dopamine)
Conclusion: different perspectives, both real
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
14
Characteristics of science
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Systematicity: a coherent system of theories,

statements, formulae etc.
Well-defined methods: methods specify what counts
as legitimate problems, facts, solutions, etc.
Reduction: phenomena (or theories) are explained by
underlying lower-level mechanisms (or laws).
Objectivity: in the sense of being controllable, reliable
and inter-subjectively observable.
Clarity: scientific statements are phrased
unambiguously, in principle addressed to the public
domain.
Revisability: scientific knowledge is open, revisable at
all times and never definitive.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
15
Induction, deduction, abduction

Induction: from individual observations to general statements.
No logical certainty, but new knowledge.
Example: Lots of swans were observed; all were white.
Maybe all swans are white.
Deduction: from general statements to individual.

Logical certainty: conclusion contained in premises, but no
new knowledge.
Example: All humans are mortal.
Socrates is human.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
Abduction: inference to the best explanation.

No logical certainty, new hypothetical knowledge about
causes
Example: All CJD patients ate beef.
Beef may be the cause of CJD.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
16
The problem of induction

Every generalisation can be disconfirmed by an
unexpected observation (black swan).
Confirmation cannot, unlike deduction, be formalised; no
logical certainty.
Inducing requires classification; one has to start with
concepts and criteria (e.g. for similarity).
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
17
Facts and theories

Facts: no such thing as pure observation; theory
influences observation theory-ladenness
Theory (coherent set of statements) indispensable:
standard terms for description;
coherent, unifying;
unobservable scientific concepts (e.g., energy,
IQ) connected to observations by theory.
Strict distinction between fact and theory
impossible; hierarchy from factual to theoretical.
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
18
Justification vs discovery
Context of justification: normative, focus on method;

prescribing criteria for holding a theory true, acceptable
or justified, logically or empirically ( positivism).
Context of discovery: description of the historical, social

and psychological circumstances and influences that
were relevant to the invention or discovery of scientific
theories: who, where and when? ( more or less
relativistic views of science).
Video.edhole.com
B&LdeJ
19

Video Lecture For B.tech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Video Lecture For B.tech

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Video Lecture For B.tech

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Video Lectures for MBA

Theoretical Issues in Psychology

Aims of the book

Review of basic ideas and problems in

Why and how?

Objectivity vs subjectivity or human construction:

But what defines science?

What defines science?

Critical attitude: against authority and dogma;

Correspondence theory: a statement or belief

Coherence theory: a statement or belief is

Recent theories of truth

Pragmatic theory: a belief or theory is true or

Views on world & knowledge

Relativism (an extreme version: Idealism):

A problem for realism: Gods eye view

Everyday knowledge and science

Conclusion: different perspectives, both real

Systematicity: a coherent system of theories,

Induction, deduction, abduction

Deduction: from general statements to individual.

Abduction: inference to the best explanation.

The problem of induction

Facts and theories

Context of justification: normative, focus on method;

Context of discovery: description of the historical, social

You might also like