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From: mct@praxis.co.uk (Martyn Thomas)
Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech
Subject: Re: Definition of science and of scientific method.
Message-ID: <930@newton.praxis.co.uk>
Date: Mon, 20-Jul-87 09:57:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: newton.930
Posted: Mon Jul 20 09:57:54 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Jul-87 05:48:12 EDT
References: <6693@allegra.UUCP> <1664@tekcrl.TEK.COM>
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Reply-To: mct@praxis.co.uk (Martyn Thomas)
Organization: Praxis Systems plc, Bath, UK
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There is a class of discussion which centres round the following steps:

1	Select a loosely-defined term (eg science: systematic and formulated
	knowledge - OED).

2	Use it to classify something else (eg Physics is a science)

3	Import some emotional content (eg *unscientific* as a perjorative)

4	Start arguing about whether other things fit the classification (eg
	AI is not a science).

Such discussions are always fruitless (with the possible exception of
bananas :-), because the issue ostensibly being discussed is unimportant
and the *real* issue (whether AI research is conducted professionally,
whether AI is a subject worth studying in isolation .....) never gets
identified.
Martyn Thomas				mct%praxis.uucp@ukc.ac.uk   
Praxis Systems plc			...seismo!mcvax!ukc!praxis!mct 
20 Manvers Street,			Tel: +44 225 444700
BATH  BA1 1PX         England.		Fax: +44 225 65205   (Groups 2&3)