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Constructivism -v- Realism Is knowledge a reflection of an outside reality or constructed by us?

Constructivism -v- Realism Is knowledge a reflection of an outside reality or constructed by us?. MRes Philosophy of Knowledge: Day 2 - Session 3 (slides available at http:// cfpm.org/mres ). 3 Layers of the World?. The Real

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Constructivism -v- Realism Is knowledge a reflection of an outside reality or constructed by us?

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  1. Constructivism -v- RealismIs knowledge a reflection of an outside reality or constructed by us? MRes Philosophy of Knowledge: Day 2 - Session 3 (slides available at http://cfpm.org/mres)

  2. 3 Layers of the World? • The Real • The mechanisms, powers, tendencies etc. which science seeks to discover • The Actual • Flows or sequences of events which may be produced in experiments or elsewhere (presumably as a result of the real) • The Observable • That part of the actual which happens to be observed Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-2

  3. Realism • A strong form: there is an objective reality independent of the observer and theories directly reflect this • An intermediate form: there is an objective reality independent of the observer and theories approximate this and are improved over time • A weak form: there is an objective reality in which the observer participates and theories capture what is observable of this Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-3

  4. Some reasons to be a realist • Some theories make novel and surprising predictions that turn out to be correct • Realist scientists have produced a lot of knowledge that is undoubtably useful • It is often sensible to assume things are objectively and independently real • Even very abstract and seemingly theoretical entities are systematically manipulated to obrtain intended results Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-4

  5. induction deduction Methods making operational measurement The Process of a Science? Theories Empirical Generalisations Hypotheses Observations Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-5

  6. Constructivism • Theories/knowledge about the world are constructed by us in a creative process • Thus there is (at least some degree of) choice or contingency about our knowledge • Reasons for this might include: • Observations are insufficient to uniquely determine theory • We can only deal with knowledge through a framework which gives it form (language) • There is no separate objective reality Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-6

  7. Some reasons to be a constructivist • Many theoretical entities have turned out to be incorrect (even though the models are approximately correct in many aspects) • In retrospect we can see the biasing effect of culture, assumptions, language etc. • Theories are rarely constrained down to uniqueness by the evidence • Doing science involves being creative • Reformulating is often a useful thing to do Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, session 3, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-7

  8. An Analogy with Biological Evolution • Theories ‘evolve’ in the environment of human society and the world • Variations are being continually produced • Theories survive and are propagated depending on their attractiveness to humans (including how useful they are) • There is a mutual ‘lock-in’ effect due to the formation of knowledge ‘ecologies’ • Theories only reflect reality to the extent that organisms reflect their environment Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-8

  9. “Complex” “Fundamental” A Hierarchy of the Sciences? Geography Social Sciences Ecology Psychology Zoology Biology Chemistry Physics Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-9

  10. Reductionism • That knowledge in the more complex sciences (e.g. social sciences) can (or will) be shown to be consequences of knowledge in the more “basic” sciences (e.g. biology). • For example: some of the properties of a cell (and hence an organism) have been successfully explained by the action of biochemical processes (e.g. DNA) Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-10

  11. Holism • That (some) phenomena are not reducible to the behaviour/properties of its parts • “The whole is more than the sum of its parts” • For example: that culture is not reducible to the psychology of individuals or evolution • Results in different kinds of phenomena • Difference between in principleholism and in practiceholism Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-11

  12. Some Kinds of Laws • Phenomological laws which capture (or save) the phenomena directly • These are literally true but do not explain • Explanatory laws which explain why a phenomena might occur • Literally false but explain how things happen • And “bridging rules” between the two based on culture and practice developed within a discipline Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-12

  13. Some Uses of Models/Laws/Theories • Prediction • Explanation • Description • Redescription • Guidance • Instruction • Illustration • Expression • Generalisation Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-13

  14. Popper and falsification • Theories are constructed in the process of science… • …but some are eliminated due to evidence from the real world. • Thus the (eventual) realism of the theories depends upon: • That enough of the possible theories are generated to cover all important possibilities • And that the evidence is sufficient to “weed out” the unrepresentative theories Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, session 3, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-14

  15. Kuhn and scientific revolutions • Observed that science often progresses in terms of fairly sudden revolutions rather than via a gradual build up of knowledge • “Revolutionary science” involves a change in paradigm • In between revolutions: “normal science” • Effect of “theoretical spectacles” where data is selected dependent on paradigm • Different paradigms are incommensurable Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-15

  16. Bhaskar and critical realism • Realist but not reductionist or positivist • Anything that causes an observable effect is real – causes as tendencies • Thus intentions of individuals etc. are real • Argues for the possibility of a social science but does not view science in a limited way • But whether a social science actually develops is a contingent matter • A naturalistic position Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, session 3, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-16

  17. Social Constructivism • Knowledge results from a social process • Whereby some phenomena is constructed as the result of social processes • Thus (such) knowledge is not necessarily objective across cultures (but may be) • Often linked to relativism • E.g. Berger and Luckman – the Social Construction of Realityarguing that social reality is socially constructed Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-17

  18. Epistemological Constructivism • Sometimes called “radical” constructivism • What is commonly called reality is constructed by each individual • Nothing to be gained in explanatory terms by positing an external reality • Sometimes linked to linguistic turn and hermeneutics • E.g. Glaserfeld and mathematics education Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, session 3, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-18

  19. Constructed Entities Real Entities Social Phenomena Physical Phenomena A (far too) neat picture of knowledge and phenomena Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-19

  20. Summary of Session Two different views of knowledge: • Realist: As (perhaps imperfect) representations of a reality (perhaps partially) independent of us (possibly as the result of a fallible social process) • Constructivist: As constructions (by us or society) that are useful to us for interaction (possibly for prediction or explanation) (possibly weakly constrained by observations and interaction with a world) Constructivism -v- Realism. MMUBS Mres Epistemology, Day 2 - session 2, http://cfpm.org/Mres slide-20

  21. The End (as usual slides etc. at: http://cfpm.org/mres)

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