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Evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories PDF

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Added on  2021-09-22

Evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories PDF

   Added on 2021-09-22

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Running head: AN EVALUATION ON THE SIMPLICITY OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
An evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
Evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories PDF_1
AN EVALUATION ON THE SIMPLICITY OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES1
In this paper, I will argue that the simple theories should be preferred in science over
the complex ones from a subjective point of view using the Bayesian model of evidence in
science. In this paper, I will explore the various standpoints of people criticising the several
versions of the “Occam’s razor” that inherently talks about the preference of the simple
theories over the complex theories that are used in the field of science. As a notion of
conclusion, this assignment strives to reflect that the fact that simplicity in science is not
always justified and the complexity of the scientific theories are required to be considered as
well for deriving the best results.
The advancement of science and technologies has reached a certain height of
standards for over the years. Although the scientific theories have been provided with several
substantial evidences, there have been criticism as well about the level of complexity of these
theories. According to the theory stated by William of Ockham, the theories of science should
be of a level that is not beyond the understanding level of common human beings (Engström
et al.). The Bayesian model however categorises these uncertainties according to the
evidences that supports the level of simplicity in stating the scientific theories. The new
radical views of the confirmation and the evidences of the scientific theories forms a
viewpoint termed as Bayesianism.
The Occam’s razor is based upon the philosophy that was formulated by the William
of Ockham. According to the philosophy, simple theories in the field of science should be
preferred than the theories which are devoted in stating complex explanations as these
explanations require a lot of speculations to be made than the simple theories of science (Van
Den Berg). According to Ockham the abstractions and generalisations were mental concepts
that were basically derived from the perceiving of the particulars and categorising them
among the similarities, derivations, affinities and the kinds of such type (Vapnik). Conception
can be defined as the role of perception of the level of understanding of an individual object
Evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories PDF_2
AN EVALUATION ON THE SIMPLICITY OF SCIENTIFIC THEORIES2
in some ways that are corresponding on of the particular concept. However, the abstractions
on the other hand were to be regarded as the objects according to their own state. These
entities termed as universals were one problem among many that was confined towards
making the syllogistic logic more complex, unpretendingly huge and way less powerful than
the much more rationalised system that are used today (Van Den Berg). Ockham’s razor
principally was devised to provide with faith from the rational enquiries but the modern
elaborations of the Occam’s razor states that it is unwise to make a lot of speculations
keeping in mind the name of God (Valkenburg et al.).
There may be various ways in which the simplicity can be regarded as the most
demanding feature in the field of scientific theories. The simpler theories are often regarded
as the easily perceived ones or very much elegant than the theories that are complex in
comparison to these theories (Nola, Robert, and Sankey). The simpler theories of science are
much easier to understand and is more flexible to work with. However, many of the scientists
and the philosophers believe that simplicity is something that cannot be associated with the
relevance of the theories that described in the field of science (Rothe and Peter). Additionally
they believe that simplicity in the genre of science should not be taken into account every
time especially when the researches are taking place absolutely fine and are moving on the
right track of discovery. Instead of this, simplicity should be regarded as one of the main
criteria to evaluate and select from the theories that are in contradiction to the theory that is
being worked upon (Bhaskar and Roy). Simplicity considerations are also considered as the
integral to several methods of standardization that the scientists use to interfere with the
hypotheses from the empirical data that is the most common explanation of this being the
most fitted one.
The Bayesian model or Bayesianism is devoted upon the understanding of the
evidence using the theory of probability that is quite a popular ideology. There is a dedicated
Evaluation on the simplicity of scientific theories PDF_3

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