We start at the beginning and define science as a set of observations and theories about observations. Wc then define theory as a device for making predictions and correlations of observations. A theory is composed of axioms, which are not necessarily self-evident, procedure, and the output of the procedure. The axioms identify the system, select the procedure and its parameters, and interpret its output. Each theory is judged by the following pragmatic criteria listed in the order of decreasing importance.
How diverse is it?
How accurate is it?
How simple is it?
Like all scicncc, theories evolve; they do so bccausc the basis of our scientific knowledge is constantly changing. The best theory at a particular point in time is the theory that best satisfies the above criteria. It is not to be judged on a political or a religious basis.
A theory evolves. The axioms arc concci ved in the mind of the theorist who also may double as an experimentalist. The output of the theory arc predictions and correlations that may suggest new experiments to the experimentalist. The predictions and correlations are Uicn compared with observations. If the agreement between predictions-correlations and observation is "good" the theory is a "good" theory, which is a pragmatic value judgement. If the agreement is poor — which occurs sometimes bccausc new observations have been made — a better theory must be found by some theorist generating new axioms and a new cyclc. This axiomatic-cum-pragmatic (ACP) cycling is continued until the agreement between theory and experiment becomes "good". Wc call this proccss the ACP cpistemology of science bccausc (1) epistemology is the acquisition and validation of knowledge and (2) wc wish to distinguish our simplistic view from the more erudite views of the professional philosophers.
The ACP cpistemology can be applied to areas outside of scicncc.
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