DYNAMIC-SCIENTIFIC PHILOSOPHY


ANALOGIES 27 and 28

Chose one of the three Samples as the most analogous to the Model, and write it down, with your reasoning.

27.- Experiment-Hypothesis

Test-Idea
Postulate-Axiom
Conclusion-Theorem

28.- Hydrogen-Proton

Sentence-Verb
Light-Photon
Signals-Response

CHOICE AND EXPLANATION

27.- Test-Idea :-) Experiments are designed to prove or disprove Hypotheses. They serve to test the validity of concrete Ideas. One does not test the Idea that yearly vacations make workers happier. An Experiment might be designed to show that there is less absenteeism among workers taking vacations. From such observation one may be free to infer that less absenteeism reflects a state of "more happiness."
An Axiom is a self-evident truth, such as "The two halves of a quantity are equal." The definition of Postulate is more difficult. In the realm of abstractions, Postulates may be defined as propositions that are presented as axiomatic. Thus, Axioms are universally true, while Postulates are considered true by a group of people: social conduct is based on legal, moral, ethical and aesthetical Postulates. Religions are based on postulates considered by the believers as being divinely sanctioned, being therefore called 'dogmas.'
'Conclusion' is the term applied to the deduction based on the premises of a syllogism. Logical thinking is valid reasoning. 'Logic' derives from the Greek word 'logos,' which is rich in meanings, among them 'reasoning.' Reasoning by means of valid premises results in valid conclusions; therefore, logical thinking is mostly based on sylogisms.
Reasoning by means of analogy (analogical thinking) may give rise to Hypotheses. Example: "Jupiter is a large body, with smaller bodies (moons) circling around it. The Sun is a large body, while the other nonstellar visible bodies are much smaller. It is reasonable to hypothesize that Earth is also one of such bodies, and that all circle the Sun."
Sylogisms that have universal value belong to the realm of Formal Logic. Example: "All animals have certain unique characteristics. Humans possess such characteristics. Conclusion ('Ergo'): Humans are animals." The apellative 'formal' in the present context means 'universal,' in the sense that Plato considered 'Forms' as the essence of everything, being for him 'Universals.'
Thus, a syllogism applied to a particular case belongs to Material Logic, on the basis that Plato considered Matter as being secondary to Form, i.e., matter manifests the attributes of the essence. An example of Material Logic would be: "All your friends like you. I am your friend. Therefore, I like you." If the minor premise were "I like you," then concluding "Therefore I am your friend," would be false, constituting a sophism.
Besides calling the 'essences' of things Forms, Plato called them 'Ideas.' Since Aristotle did not entirely agree with his teacher's concept that Forms or Ideas are essences separate from matter, his thinking was not 'Idealistic' but 'Materialistic,' actually Empiricist. Aristotle therefore devoted much effort to the study of matter. He published his ideas on the subject as "Physics"); his ample leisure, vast interests and keen analytic mind were also invested in the fields of ethics, politics, art and, of course, logic. His ideas on those subjects were published in the same tome, after "Physics." Unwittingly, he was the source of the first meaning of the word "Metaphysics," (meta-'"Physics") which was much later coined to refer to his other writings: after "Physics."
As for Theorem: In Mathematics and in Logic, a Theorem is a proposition constructed on axioms. Otherwise, this term is seldom used. Yet we might conceive that the decisions we take are based on private Theorems constructed from Axioms and Postulates. Suppose we want to buy a house. Through a simple Axiom, we know that the less money we spend on something, the more is left for other things; therefore, we take in consideration the price of the house. Then comes the Postulate: "It is preferable to purchase a house in a 'good neighborhood,'"; neighborhood A is 'better' than B,..and so on. After constructing our 'private Theorem,' we proceed to state: "After carefully weighing the pros and cons, we have decided to buy such and such house."

In daily parlance, some of the terms described are used loosely.

28.- Sentence-Verb :-) Besides a verb, a sentence reqires at least a noun, as in "I am." Hydrogen, the simplest atom, has one electron and one proton. Photons are the units electromagnetic radiations. A response may follow a Signal.

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