Outline

People Need to believe order can be glimpsed in the chaos of events
- [ ] Definitions
- [ ] Order
- [ ] an established pattern
- [ ] Chaos
- [ ] a total lack of patterns
- [ ] Human beings are pattern seekers
- [ ] make them up even when they don't exist
- [ ] Natural Science
- [ ] Physics
- [ ] Quantum Physics
- [ ] Search for Higgs Boson
- [ ] Theoretically undetectable particle
- [ ] CERN spends billions building LHC to find it
- [ ] Evolutionary Biology
- [ ] All species are given names
- [ ] Names are used to trace heritage/ organize organisms
- [ ] Astronomy
- [ ] Stars are analyzed to map the universe
- [ ] Order put in place by human in a given system
- [ ] Social Science
- [ ] History
- [ ] Religion
- [ ] Religion offers hope to people
- [ ] Explains meaning of life
- [ ] Missionaries feel they have meaning in lives
- [ ] Jihadists also have meaning in life/death

Abel Questions

1. How does Science explain a fact?  Please use the entire explanation on. p. 91 and 92.

 

1.) Science explains a fact by creating a generalised theory that explains and supports said fact.

2.  What are some common misconceptions about scientific explanations?  How does Abel refute each one?

It is sometimes said that science describes rather than explains, but this is merely refuted by stating that there is no clear line between description and explanation.

 

3.  What does Abel mean when he says: "a law in turn may be explained by another law of wider scope; the greater the generality, the better the explanation." (p. 93)?

The overarching goal of physicists is to find a universal equation that would describe anything in the known universe. Science is a mean of finding said theories and information.

 

4.  What does Abel mean when he says: "Explanation is always relative to a given knowledge situation; you must stop somewhere." (p. 94)?

One can only explain something so far; a limit exists at which explanation is increasingly useless.

 

5.  Why are explanatory reductions "economical ways of describing phenomena." (p. 95)?

Explanatory reductions do not solve or remove the problems, but serve as ways to identify them.

 

6.  Why does scientific explanation require the concept of system?

Without a closed system, the scientific theory or statement has no validity as all variables have not been accounted for.

 

7.  Why is the theory of emergence used to explain how anything new came into the world?  What counter-claim does Abel provide?

The theory of emergence is used to explain new things is the sense that things exist in and of themselves, in addition to being a sum of their parts. Abel claims that there is no reason why there must be absolutely (and not relatively) emergent qualities.

 

8.  Why is theory and observation interdependent in scientific explanations?

Certain scientific explanations refer to theoretical things. (e.g. probability waves)

 

9.  Why is explanation in science theoretically identical to prediction?  How does Abel feel about this?

 

You can explain something only as well as you can predict its return.

10.  What does Abel mean when he says: 'The growth of science is not a clear-cut, straightforward progression toward a unique, all-inclusive final truth." (p. 100)?

The advancements of science often get clouded with certain factors that may "steer" the scientific field in a certain direction.

 

11.  According to Abel, what situations are seen by scientists as requiring explanation?

It is the scientists personal bias that dictates what is seen as needing explaining.

 

12.  What is the role of the human element in the progress of scientific explanation?

Humans have a specific need for order that may not be the same one the Nature caters towards. Human eyes are needed to rationalize these seemingly random events.

 

13.  Abel claims that: "Our perceptual knowledge is delimited by our characteristic biological capacities, and there are limits to the completeness of our theoretical structures.  But our observations and our theories mutually reinforce each other....The structure of our science is pragmatically justified; it is the most reliable knowledge there is." (p. 105)  Does this hold true in History as well?

Science's goal is to remove all contradictions, while history may build up upon them

 

14.  In Bullet form, and using information from this chapter and Chapter 15 (you wrote Study Questions on November 9), please list the similarities and differences between Scientific and Historical explanations.

Brave New World Chpt. 10

1. Why does the director feel that Unorthodoxy is worse than Murder? What does the Director want to do with Bernard Marx?
Unorthodoxy differs from murder in the fact that Murder only harms one person whereas unorthodoxy harms many. Bernard is to be shipped/transferred to Iceland.
2. What surprise does Bernard bring to the Director?
Bernard brings Linda back from the reserve and the Director is non-too-pleased to see her again. 

Brave New World Chpt. 9

1. What did Lenina do when she got back to the rest-house?
Lenina took 3 grammes of SoMa and became unaware of anything going on around her.
2. What does Bernard ask his Fordship, Mustapha Mond?
Bernard wants to take John back into civilisation and asks for the permit to take him.
3. What does John say when he is by Lenina's bedside? Why is this significant?
John begins to recite Shakespearean quotations to Lenina. John begins to believe that he is in love with Lenina although he is not completely sure.

Brave New World Chpt. 8

1. How would you describe John's upbringing? Why do you think he says that he is "Alone, always alone." (p. 137). How does Bernard feel about John?
John's upbringing was spartan and archaic in nature. John always thought he was alone because his community shunned him. Bernard understands how lonely John feels.

2. Why does John say at the end of the chapter, "O brave new world!" (p. 139)?
John says "O brave new world" because he is completely amazed at the ideas that Bernard expresses.