Aspects of Science

1 The body of all evidence-based knowledge of the way the Universe works

2 The application of that knowledge - Technology

3 The ways in which this knowledge was actually uncovered – The Scientific Method

Before Science became so useful it had another name

Natural Philosophy

And its most important attribute has been forgotten

The Most Important Attribute is:

It is analytical construct to decide whether something is actually TRUE with a significant degree of reliability.

…and the ethical purpose of education must involve the teaching of young people how they can decide what they are being told is actually TRUE.

Thus the teaching of a skeptical, evidence-based assessment of ALL claims without exception is an Intellectual Integrity issue for all teachers

Let’s invert this:

The complete set of constructs to decide whether something is actually TRUE with a significant degree of reliability…

definesNatural Philosophy

completely

1) How do I know what your telling me is true?

3) Why are you telling me this?4) Do you have an ulterior motive – are you

disinterested?5) Who told you this?

We must ask:

2) Where is the evidence?

6) Why should I believe you?

Don't accept what authority tells you

(unquestioningly)

Carl Sagan (HK)

without evidence

anything goes!

Think about it!

Many people, in particular politicians, think that only research that results in money should be carried out

However, because Science has been so useful, the most important contribution to

society has been forgotten

The Most Important Aspect of Natural Philosophy:

It is the complete set of philosophical constructs we have devised to determine whether something is TRUE with a significant degree of reliability.

…and the ethical purpose of education must involve the teaching of young people how they can decide what they are being told is actually TRUE.

Thus the teaching, as a fundamental process, of a skeptical, evidence-based assessment of ALL claims without exception is surely an Intellectual Integrity issue which all teachers should address.

Before Science became so useful it had another name

Natural Philosophy

Science

1. The only philosophical construct devised by mankind to determine, with any degree of reliability: What is true, might be true, can be true and what, more importantly, cannot be true!

2. Truth is Universal, and does not vary from country to country or planet to planet

3. Truth assumes that an experiment always behaves exactly the same way and that no mystical entity tampers with the observation – ie praying will not affect the result!

4. Truth is thus an Intellectual Integrity issue

5. Thus Science Education is an Ethical issue

In the teaching of the evidence based way to determine

TRUTH

lies the ethical reason for the conflict between

Science and Dogma – political, religious and all other authority not based on

evidence etc

Hmmmm … a 12th man playing!

Is this fair????

“The Hand of God”

Maradonna - Argentina vs England 1998