Relativism, Instrumetalism and RelevanceRelativismA theory,
especially in ethics, that conceptions of truth and moral values
are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding
them. The idea that some elements or aspects of experience or
culture are relative to, i.e., dependent on, other elements or
aspects.
RelativismCommon statements that might be considered
relativistic include"That's true for you but not for me" "Beauty is
in the eye of the beholder" "You can't judge other cultures
byOverheard on CampusRight and wrong are a matter of opinionWhats
right is what each person (or society) says is rightWho are we to
judge?There are no moral absolutesI do my thing, you do yours. .
.When in Rome, do as the Romans do!
In making scientific observations, scientific
inquiry.Theory-laden observationsAlternative
modelsInstrumentalismRelevanceTheory-laden ObservationsWhat
scientists see is influenced by their beliefs.Observations and
evidence are not free from the influence of theories.We examine
things with some purpose and therefore some idea in
mind.ObservableUnobservable
?
Alternative ModelsA process of scientific enquiry should be
constantly looking to see if there are alternative theories to
account for the evidence to hand --- the existing theory is then
rejected if another emerges that is more comprehensive.Alternative
ModelsIn practice, a research programme should yield both new
facts, and also new theories; in other words, it should produce
what amounts to a programme of continuous growth.Alternative
ModelsThe direction of science is determined primarily by human
creative imagination and not by the universe of facts which
surrounds us -Lakatos, 1978ExampleInstrumentalismFruitfulness ---
the degree to which each theory is able to make accurate
predictions, in other words, its usefulness as an instrument for
the application of science.The main test of science is its ability
to solve puzzles.Theories are viewed as tools for
predicting.InstrumentalismWe have to go for the most useful way of
understanding the world that we have to hand, even if the theories
we use already have recognizable limitations. We cannot wait for
perfection.
RelevanceA theory might be judged as to its relevance within
that world-view and the presuppositions of the scientific community
as a whole.RelevanceEven if we are to consider the status of
scientific theories primarily from the perspective of their
usefulness and relevance within the community that produces them,
it is still important that they should be examined in the light of
the overall philosophical questions about the nature of existence,
even if no definitive answers can be given.
