[This a copy of a post I made on another forum]
The short, and brutal, answer is: it isn't science.
But to be constructive, I'll set out what I think are the criteria a proposition needs to fulfill to be regarded as a "Scientific Theory".
My proposition must be:
a) Well defined, by which is meant that it must clearly state its domain of applicability, and, by implication those areas to which it does not apply;
b) Well motivated. meaning, either that I can demonstrate that there are phenomena which are not adequately accounted for by existing theory (assuming there is one), or that there are internal inconsistencies in existing theories that lead to a demonstrable contradiction;
c) Well founded: all existing data are fully accounted for, and connected, by my proposition. Alternatively, that taking a generally accepted minimum data set, or apparently self-evident axioms, all other existing data sets are fully accounted for;
d) Well formulated: The argument from premise (data set, axiom set, postulates, assumptions....) to conclusion is in accord with established logic, and, moreover, implicit in my proposition is the data set that would render it false, i.e. predictive power;
These, I think, are the minimum criteria that a proposition needs to meet even to be considered as a scientific theory. I will add some minor ones:
Parsimony: Where two or more "theories" cannot be distinguished by experimental means, one prefers the most parsimonious - this is Occam's Razor;
Elegance; Where two or more "theories" meet all the criteria above, one prefers the most "aesthetically pleasing"; this is admittedly highly subjective, but take very careful note. Existing theory, to be worthy of serious consideration, must, and usually does, meet the criteria above. This means I may not simply reject existing theory because I "just don't like it".
Equally, if my "theory" also passes all these tests, it too will be seriously considered by reasonable people.
Note that I have deliberately not included examples from history (no, I don't mean the history of this forum), but I believe that I can.
Any thoughts, additions, etc?
The short, and brutal, answer is: it isn't science.
But to be constructive, I'll set out what I think are the criteria a proposition needs to fulfill to be regarded as a "Scientific Theory".
My proposition must be:
a) Well defined, by which is meant that it must clearly state its domain of applicability, and, by implication those areas to which it does not apply;
b) Well motivated. meaning, either that I can demonstrate that there are phenomena which are not adequately accounted for by existing theory (assuming there is one), or that there are internal inconsistencies in existing theories that lead to a demonstrable contradiction;
c) Well founded: all existing data are fully accounted for, and connected, by my proposition. Alternatively, that taking a generally accepted minimum data set, or apparently self-evident axioms, all other existing data sets are fully accounted for;
d) Well formulated: The argument from premise (data set, axiom set, postulates, assumptions....) to conclusion is in accord with established logic, and, moreover, implicit in my proposition is the data set that would render it false, i.e. predictive power;
These, I think, are the minimum criteria that a proposition needs to meet even to be considered as a scientific theory. I will add some minor ones:
Parsimony: Where two or more "theories" cannot be distinguished by experimental means, one prefers the most parsimonious - this is Occam's Razor;
Elegance; Where two or more "theories" meet all the criteria above, one prefers the most "aesthetically pleasing"; this is admittedly highly subjective, but take very careful note. Existing theory, to be worthy of serious consideration, must, and usually does, meet the criteria above. This means I may not simply reject existing theory because I "just don't like it".
Equally, if my "theory" also passes all these tests, it too will be seriously considered by reasonable people.
Note that I have deliberately not included examples from history (no, I don't mean the history of this forum), but I believe that I can.
Any thoughts, additions, etc?