Principles of Scientific Knowledge, Semiotics & Language
Understanding Scientific Knowledge
Science is a rational, objective, and critical process that provides descriptions of phenomena, predicts their behavior, and yields proven results.
Characteristics of Science
- Sound: Bases its claims on arguments and evidence.
- Objective: Valid for everyone and open to research and verification by others.
- Critical: Research results are considered provisional, not final.
Functions of Science
- Describe: Observe phenomena and take note of their behavior.
- Explain: Identify the causes that make phenomena occur.
- Predict: Anticipate the behavior of these phenomena.
Types of Science
- Formal Science: Does not study empirical facts but rather the relationships between symbols. It is based on the principle of internal consistency.
- Empirical Science: Studies experience. It is based on observation and experimentation and can be:
- Natural Science: Studies facts of nature.
- Social Science: Studies social events of the world.
Scientific Methods
- Deductive Method: Starts from general and obvious principles (which do not need demonstration) to establish specific conclusions. (Characteristic of Formal Science)
- Inductive Method: Starts from the observation of specific cases to establish general findings based on those observations. Generalization occurs because what is observed in specific cases is extended to all possible cases of the same type. (Characteristic of Empirical Science)
- Hypothetical-Deductive Method: Characteristic of empirical science, combining both inductive and deductive approaches.
Reasoning Processes
- Deduction: A reasoning process that starts from general principles and draws specific findings from them.
- Induction: A way of thinking that starts from specific principles or observations to establish general findings.
The Role of Signs and Symbols
The symbolic capacity of human beings enables us to create, interpret, and use symbols, forming the basis of culture.
Types of Signs
- Signs: Establish a causal link with what they represent.
- Icons: Maintain a similarity with what they represent.
- Symbols: Maintain a conventional or arbitrary relationship with what they represent, established by agreement among users and transmitted across generations.
Importance of Symbols
Symbols allow us to:
- Communicate by referring to established and shared meanings.
- Act and perform within the world.
- Foster the creation of social ties, as we learn to construct and interpret symbols within society.
- Go beyond the immediate or present, enabling reference to projects, memories, desires, etc.
Elements and Branches of Linguistics
Elements of the Linguistic Sign
- Signifier: The form in which the sign is presented to our perception (e.g., a sound, a written word).
- Signified: The mental representation or idea associated with the particular signifier.
- User: Senders and receivers of linguistic signs, who use them to communicate.
Branches of Linguistics
- Syntax: The study of significant combinations, offering rules that allow the construction of messages to communicate. (Related to logic/structure)
- Semantics: The study of the meaning of linguistic signs. It is important for adequate communication to choose established meanings that express what we intend. (Related to reference/meaning)
- Pragmatics: The study of the relationship between signs and their users in specific contexts, considering the speaker’s intent and the communication context. (Related to use/context)
Language’s Importance for Humans
Every language conveys its own vision of the world, which is part of its culture (beliefs, values). Sapir and Whorf proposed the linguistic relativity thesis, which suggests that different languages determine different ways of seeing the world. This thesis has since been qualified, asserting that although language influences how we perceive the world, it does not completely determine it.