SOLVING THE DEMARCATION PROBLEM USING THREE THEORIES

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In this paper, I will explain three theories on how to solve the demarcation problem, or the problem of distinguishing between science and non-science, and how all three of them need to be combined in order to truly solve this problem. First, I will explain each of the three different theories proposed by A.J. Ayer, Karl Popper, and Paul Thagard, these philosopher’s arguments for each of these theories, and an example of using each theory. Then, I will explain why all three of these theories need to be combined by showing examples of how each individual theory incorrectly categorizes something as scientific. Next, I will show how these three theories together can correctly distinguish science from non-science. Finally, I will explain various refutations to this argument and defend against them. Demarcation is important, because only science can be proven or disproven by facts of nature. All non-science are just theories created by man – hypotheses that cannot be supported by reality.

A. J. Ayer in “The Elimination of Metaphysics” uses the theory of verifiability to disprove the existence of metaphysics. His theory of verifiability states that something is verifiable “if, and only if, its truth could be conclusively established in experience.”i This statement means that a theory is scientific if an empirical experiment or observation can confirm the hypothesis proposed by the theory. Other philosophers included all analytical scientific statements, or those that are true by definition. Ayer argues that a statement is verifiable if it is possible to verify if we had the technology to verify it. Also, he argues that verifiability implies that the statement deals with the empirical.

One example of this theory of verifiability is ...

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...ned theory solving the fallacies of previous attempts to solve this problem and it standing up against objections, scientists will finally be able to correctly categorize science from non-science. Now scientists can stop arguing about what is and is not science and actually concentrate all their resources on finding new theories that will change our perception of the world.

Works Cited

Ayer, A. J. “The Elimination of Metaphysics.” In Language, Truth, and Logic (New York: Dover, 1952), pp. 35-45.

Popper, Karl R. “Science: Conjectures and Refutations.” In Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (London: Routedge and Keagan Paul, 1963), pp. 33-39.

Thagard, Paul R. “Why Astrology is a Psuedoscience.” In PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978) , pp. 223-234.

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