September 6, 2018 Soci 217 Human Inquiry and Science Looking for Reality · A. Ordinary Human Inquiry . B. Tradition · C. Authority . D. Errors in Inquiry and Some Solutions · E. What is really real? . In the Occident (the West), the question of what is real has been addressed since the time of the Greek philosophers in the 4th century BC . Science: An approach to both agreement reality and experimental reality · Agreement Reality: o What we know as part and parcel of the culture we share with those around us · Experimental Reality: o What we know from personal experience and discovery . Along with agreement rality and experimental reality, a scientific assertion must have both logical and empirical support Ex. Regardign the question of the temperature on the other side of the moon: " Logic: Heat comes from the sun's rays, and since there are no rays on the dark side of the moon, it is cold there . Empirical Support: Scientific measurements confirm that the other side of the moon is cold · Epistemology: The science of knowing o Methodology, a subset of epistemology: the science of finding out A. Ordinary Human Inquiry · We, as Homo Sapiens, seems predisposed to: o Using Causal reasoning: we realize that future circumstances are caused or conditioned by present ones · A causes B o Use probabilistic reasoning: present events ordinarily result in future events, but not always (studying hard ordinarily leads to better grades, but not always) o Predict future events by understanding why things are related to one another . Human Inquiry aims at "what" and "why" B. Tradition · Information passed on through socialization . Acquired from culture, social institutions, common knowledge, · Cumulative knowledge . There are Pros and Cons
September 6, 2018 Soci 217 Pro: keeping traditions alive for continuity, explains social behaviours, respecting and understanding history, respecting people's cultures o Con: · Problems: Can limit inquiry, as we rarely want to see things in a different light than perceived by everybody o Can lead to prejudice, close-mindedness, and cultural relativism C. Authority · Comes from those who hold some status and expertise (middle/upper class) · Professors, government, people older than you, police officers, religious figures, educated people · Assessing Authority sources: o What are the pros and cons of relying on authority? · Pro: Authority gives us information very quickly, . Con: it is difficult to figure out what the truth is, often it is based on who is funding the person giving out the information that they are spreading . Authority is fluid, and situational · Pros: o Trusting the judgement of experts in a field can help human inquiry · Cons: Authority figured can make mistakes and misuse their position of authority o Inquiry can be hindered by legitimate authorities that err within their own fields o The advertising industry misuses authority D. Errors in Inquiry and Some Solutions . 1. Inaccurate Observations o Casual, semiconscious observations-> Mistake