Friday, October 1, 2021

What is a Scientific a Theory?



Now I want to write you a few words about what is a scientific theory.

The purpose of each science is to reach the information of the object to which it is directed to explain. Sciences are considered as systematic information wholes.

However, it is not a simple process for sciences to obtain the information of the objects they are talking about. The sciences examine the objects or reality they are trying to access because of certain models. These models help scientists understand and explain the object that is being accessed. 

In addition, even in sciences oriented towards the same field of objects, there are approaches and scientists who accept reality differently due to different models. Theories offer scientists, scientific models. Thus, the theory is closely related to the production of knowledge and knowledge. In general, the following definitions have been made for theory.


In general, the following definitions have been made for scientific theory 

  1.   - Inclusive vision, which is the product of understanding things in their universal and ideal relationship with each other, based on facts;
  2. - Abstract, general and explanatory principle that develops a systematic view of a part or all of its subjects within a scientific information system;
  3. - Hypothesis or interpretation that is considered correct, in which preliminary statements are made about phenomena that express regularity in nature or society and explain phenomena on the basis of it;
  4. - Theory as explanation and interpretation of the world, which goes beyond what can be observed and measured, consists of a cluster of interconnected definitions and relationships that regulate concepts that allow a systematic understanding of the world of facts.
The first function of a theory is to try to explain or take into account a particular phenomenon in the context of some other phenomena that are considered explanatory. This effort is a descriptive function that separates theory from relevant but non-descriptive concepts. The theory is attributed to a role that guides and limits scientists in accessing information. By classifying, limiting, and creating abstract sequences of information, theory helps scientists to determine different dimensions of the relationship between two or more concepts that are supposed to be related. In this sense, it is possible to say that the theory is a general header system based on access to information and research.

The knowledge obtained by the research guided by a theory again returns to the theory or contributes. Many topics such as how to define which concepts, which hypotheses will be created 7, which methods and techniques to use, how to classify and interpret the data obtained, show that the researcher has returned to theory based on theory. 

In other words, the findings and information obtained from a study based on theory again contribute to the theory. Of course, there is a risk that this whole process will be perceived as a vicious circle in which the theory itself is confirmed by research and does not change. However, researches based on theory and theory and the data obtained from these researches also have the functions of transforming theory and creating theories by making new contributions. 

To be noted, it is clear that theories are abstractions since the definition and classification of concepts have some acceptances or generalizations about the field of reality to which it is oriented. 

What are the differences that distinguish a theory from a thought system or ideology?


According to Richter, it is not easy to clarify the differences between theories, thought systems, models, and ideologies. This situation is even more complicated, especially in terms of disciplines oriented towards social reality. Marxism is both an ideology of politics and economics, and a confrontational and macroeconomic theory approach. Despite some transitive situations and complex appearances, Richter still finds it reasonable to expect scientists to explain what they are doing and why they are doing it in that way and not in any other way. 

When considering natural sciences and social sciences, it is possible to detect some ontological differences between the natural reality that natural sciences tend to explain and the social reality that social sciences are oriented towards. Natural reality is a factual reality that operates outside of humans, unlike the social and cultural reality that people produce, depending on recurrent events in a certain order. 

Social reality, by contrast, cannot be described as clearly as a natural reality. Even if there are certain regularities in social reality, change and conflict are also important elements of social reality. In addition, social reality is changing through history and is produced due to interpersonal relations. The interaction between people that goes on and produces culture takes place within the context of social reality. In this process of interaction, people act as beings that can interpret both incoming alerts and their own reactions, beyond being obligatory responders to stimuli sent to them.

Unlike natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, or biology, social sciences have a very complex and systematic field of analysis 8. This makes the issue of theory a subject worthy of attention for social sciences. One of the important differences between natural reality and social reality is that social reality has a structure that both produces people and is produced by people. In other words, of all beings, only man lives in a different realm, where he is the producer, separate from natural reality. This relationship is the dialectic relationship between man and social reality. 

Social reality is one of the mandatory conditions for people to live as social beings. Especially in the early stages of the socialization process, people internalize the beliefs, values, and norms that perpetuate social reality. At the same time, in order to ensure the continuity of social reality within its own reality, people need to realize those internalized beliefs, values, and norms in practice. Thus, social reality exists in a different style than the predictable and formula-label legal functioning structure of natural reality. This makes the subject of theory even more complex and difficult in terms of a scientific discipline on social reality.

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