On the Nature of Science

TL;DR

This paper presents a 21st-century perspective on science, emphasizing model-based progress, instrumentalism, and the evolving philosophical implications, while distinguishing science from religion.

Contribution

It offers a coherent description of scientific progress through models with increasing predictive power and discusses philosophical implications using instrumentalism and Occam's razor.

Findings

Science advances via models with greater predictive power

Philosophical implications evolve unpredictably with models

Error control is crucial for scientific progress

Abstract

A 21st century view of the nature of science is presented. It attempts to show how a consistent description of science and scientific progress can be given. Science advances through a sequence of models with progressively greater predictive power. The philosophical and metaphysical implications of the models change in unpredictable ways as the predictive power increases. The view of science arrived at is one based on instrumentalism. Philosophical realism can only be recovered by a subtle use of Occam's razor. Error control is seen to be essential to scientific progress. The nature of the difference between science and religion is explored.