Concept in Definition ABC

A science is called systematized set of knowledge acquired through a rigorous method. The word derives from Latin scientia, which means knowledge. It should be noted that the criterion to define scientific knowledge it has varied throughout the ages, and a set of explanations may be valued in the past and disregarded in the future. Beyond this appreciation, it should also be noted that many discoveries and reflections of the past are still valid.

While in the early stages of systematization human knowledge recognizes an unclear distinction between science and religious faith or devotion, the passing of the centuries made it possible to recognize that, in reality, these are two different tools for the approach to that knowledge, different although not antagonistic, but, in many cases, complementary, in light of the opinion of many experts.

In this context, the roots of what is now called "science" must be traced back to antiquity. The Greek culture he left numerous writings with advanced scientific ideas. Other distant civilizations also showed probity in this matter, the pre-Columbian civilizations being an example. However, his correct ideas were always mixed with other insights that were far from scientific. In the same situation, the philosophical appreciations associated with empirical knowledge that characterize, among others, the pharmacopoeias of the Indian and Chinese cultures are circumscribed.

The method that governs science today is framed from a series of necessary guidelines, such as the possibility that a theory is exposed to experimental tests that the contradict or falsify it, the possibility that the empirical verifications are carried out by anyone and the impossibility of check. Thus, the steps to follow to respect a truly scientific process they are: observing phenomena; describe them adequately; extract a general rule from them, elaborating a hypothesis that indicates cause and effect relationships; and finally, experiment to prove or disprove the hypothesis.

The formal disciplines that have served as a substrate for all the sciences have been the mathematics and the logic, especially in sciences such as physical and the chemistry. This ensures that experimental observations are quantifiable and analyzable from systematic models. Thus, today, epistemologists prefer to make a distinction between "nuclear sciences" such as mathematics and logic, in which many concepts are defined by themselves without the need for concrete proof (axioms), and the remaining disciplines scientific. In turn, these sciences can be divided into the so-called "factual" and the so-called "social". In the field of factual science (physics, biology, among many others), the axis of the scientific method it is deductive. When a generalization has been verified, it is applicable to the individual; As an example, it is often provided that, since every animal that suckles and has 7 cervical vertebrae is a mammal, This category or classification includes individual beings as different as a dolphin, an ape or a hedgehog. In return, the social Sciences (sociology, story, psychology) recognize inference as the paradigm of its structure; Based on what happened in individuals, an attempt is made to establish a generalization to reduce subjective influences as much as possible.

At present, investments to make progress in the different scientific disciplines they are considerable. This is mainly due to the desire to achieve knowledge that results both in economic benefits and in improvements for the quality of life of people. In this context, it is of interest to verify the need for financial support for the work of scientists, in ideal conditions from the State itself, with the goal of achieving an optimization of the situation of the entire population. The sponsorship of private entities or non-governmental organizations is also a very helpful tool, especially in investigation pharmacological (factual sciences) and in the approach to numerous population problems (social sciences), in respective order.

Finally, although at times the ethical component of science has been the subject of debate, it is prudent to note that ethics is itself a science, subject to dynamic changes and study. Likewise, as recognized by experts in both subjects of different personal and cultural orientations, although science as an abstract entity has no ethics, yes, scientists do, which is a relevant fact both in experimentation and in daily applications of growing knowledge human.