View Single Post
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 06-18-2007, 04:39 PM
Civbert's Avatar
Civbert Civbert is offline.
Puritanboard Junior
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: State of Franklin
Posts: 1,876
Thanks: 110
Thanked 67 Times in 47 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by AV1611 View Post
In reply to Clark's article Science and Truth someone said:

As he lost me in the first sentence have you any responses?

(see: http://www.christianforums.com/showp...1&postcount=21)

Give this a read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability

This is the scientific model he is referring to is a very solid tool in science for avoiding poor scientific claims.

Let's say Q is a scientific claim and let P be a logical consequence of Q. In other words: if Q then P.

Now the denial of the consequence takes the form:
if Q then P,
not P,
therefore not Q.
A good scientific claim should be falsifiable by the denial of the consequence. A bad scientific claim is one were there is no definable consequence where, if false, would prove the scientific claim is also false.

However, Q is not proven true by the "denial of the consequence"! Rather, Q is assumed true hypothetically. We can never prove Q is true, only potential prove it is false. The principle of falsification is a great scientific tool for avoiding poor scientific claims. If does not validate the truth of any scientific claims.
__________________
R. Anthony Coletti
Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA)
Jonesborough, TN
[i]et venite et arguite me dicit Dominus[/i]