Summary Of "Introduction To Logic And The Scientific Method" By Cohen And Nagel: UNIVERSITY SUMMARIES

By MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

We have summarized the essentials of the following chapters: "Applied Logic And Scientific Method", "The Nature Of A Logical Or Mathematical System", "The Hypotheses And The Scientific Method", among others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU
• Release date: Oct 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201761400

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Mauricio Enrique Fau nació en Buenos Aires en 1965. Se recibió de Licenciado en Ciencia Política en la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Cursó también Derecho en la UBA y Periodismo en la Universidad de Morón. Realizó estudios en FLACSO Argentina. Docente de la UBA y AUTOR DE MÁS DE 3.000 RESÚMENES de Psicología, Sociología, Ciencia Política, Antropología, Derecho, Historia, Epistemología, Lógica, Filosofía, Economía, Semiología, Educación y demás disciplinas de las Ciencias Sociales. Desde 2005 dirige La Bisagra Editorial, especializada en técnicas de estudio y materiales que facilitan la transición desde la escuela secundaria a la universidad. Por intermedio de La Bisagra publicó 38 libros. Participa en diversas ferias del libro, entre ellas la Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires y la FIL Guadalajara.

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Summary Of Introduction To Logic And The Scientific Method By Cohen And Nagel

UNIVERSITY SUMMARIES

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Published by BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU, 2021.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

SUMMARY OF INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD BY COHEN AND NAGEL

First edition. October 13, 2021.

Copyright © 2021 MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

ISBN: 979-8201761400

Written by MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

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Cohen, Morris & Nagel, Ernest | INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

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Cohen, Morris & Nagel, Ernest

INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

CHAPTER 2 APPLIED LOGIC AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1. The purpose of measurement

In everyday life it is possible to advance by attending only to QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES. The difference between the sour taste of a strawberry and the sweet taste of mango can be explained in this way. It is only necessary to discriminate between qualities. This is also applicable to scientific methods in which, sometimes, only qualitative aspects need to be differentiated.

But in both areas, in order to advance further, THE NEED TO REPLACE QUALITATIVE PROPOSALS WITH OTHERS THAT CAN GIVE US THE DEGREE AND NOT JUST THE CERTAINTY OF SUCH DIFFERENCES IS EVIDENT. This can be seen in problems such as how to know how much the real wage has risen or fallen. It is not very valuable information to know if it went up or down. What is significant is knowing TO WHAT DEGREE. Only from there is there true information because it is very different that the evolution of the real salary presents an increase of 0.5% to that this increase corresponds to 20%. The derived problems are other. Or more exactly, it is another problem because it is another scenario.

In theory and in practice, a scientific consideration of things supposes that always at a certain point in an investigation we have to REPLACE QUALITATIVE DISTINCTIONS BY QUANTITATIVE DISTINCTIONS. The number of investigations that can proceed without doing this is very small.

2. The nature of the counting action

SOMETIMES COUNTING IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRODUCE PROGRESS IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

For example, if we want to check if a certain disease advanced or regressed within the framework of the Argentine territory in a certain period (5 years for example) we have no other solution than to COUNT THE NUMBER OF CASES.

The act of COUNTING, as an RESEARCH RESOURCE, is only USED AFTER HAVING ACQUIRED SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT; knowledge that can discriminate various aspects of the subject.

The consequence of this is that IT IS ONLY POSSIBLE TO COUNT FROM A DISCREET GROUP. That is, well defined in its borders and that it has differentiated individuals at its disposal. For example, the number of foxes that inhabit a mountain can be counted, but the same cannot be done with the specks of dust that make up the mountain.

The SIGNIFICANCE of the act of COUNTING is given in that THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS of a certain group REPRESENTS AN INVARIABLE PROPERTY.

The PROBLEM faced by an investigator is BEING ABLE TO DISCRIMINATE WHAT IS COUNTED. Sometimes a mathematical handling of the data cannot avoid the contamination of the information with disturbances such as dishonesty, vanity or ignorance. Cohen and Nagel give the example of a census in England that gave an inordinate number of employers. The root of the error occurred because many people consulted did not want to acknowledge that they were employees.

3. Measurement of intensional qualities

Sometimes it is not possible to distinguish the data found because it IS PART OF A CONTINUOUS SERIES. This difficulty generates a perspective ERROR which is the following. If in the measurement of a phenomenon we assign numbers to the different degrees of a property, these numbers faithfully translate the proportion that the numbers say.

Cohen and Nagel explain that if a schoolboy has, according to the tests, an IQ of 100 and another of 50, that numbering does not indicate proportion. It does not mean that the former is twice as intelligent but only that his IQ is higher. Saying the first is neither good nor bad, that is to say that in scientific terms it has no meaning.

THE NUMBERS, within the intensional aspects, CAN BE USED IN THREE WAYS:

1) AS AN IDENTIFICATION MARK (the famous numbering! Of physical education classes or military service)

2) AS A SIGN THAT INDICATES THE POSITION OF A DEGREE OF A QUALITY INSIDE A SERIES OF DEGREES (for example, when you want to make checks on the hardness or softness of a metal).

3) AS A SIGN THAT INDICATES QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS