The Philosophy of Physical Science (Discussion)
Abstract
I FIND it very helpful in all discussions on the philosophy of science to make two distinctions. The first is to restrict the word ‘science’ to those studies involving experiment with something other than symbols. This rules out mathematics as a science and prevents, for example, the confusion that arises when it is held up as an example of the perfect science. The second distinction, which is of the greatest importance, is to distinguish between science and exact science. Exact science is that part of science which deals with the numbers produced by the reading of pointers—Eddington's “pointer readings”. This is very far from being the whole of science, although it is often held up as being the ideal aim of all sciences. (It is sufficient to recall that the theory of evolution, perhaps the most convincing of all scientific theories, does not rest on measurement or even on simple counting.) Science deals with the experiences of ordinary life, tables, octopi, schizophrenic persons and so on, but exact science deals only with numbers obtained by conventional methods of measurement. Thus it may well happen that the philosophy of science is different from the philosophy of exact science.
About Abderrahmane Al jazairi
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