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APA
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Literature & Language
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English (U.S.)
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Topic:

Scientific Arguments versus Telepathy and Clairvoyance

Essay Instructions:

Directions: Answer both Prompt 1 and Prompt 2
Length: Each answer should be about 2.5 pages long (5 pages total). Do not exceed 6 pages. Use a 12 pt font such as Times New Roman, double-space your work, and use 1-inch margins.
Prompt 1: John Ziman writes that "[w]hat one finds in practice is that scientific argument, written or spoken, is not very complex or logically precise" (p. 4). Explain what he means by this and why he holds this view. Then explain the relevance of this claim to Ziman's overall views about the nature of science.
Prompt 2: To illustrate the virtue of conservatism, Quine and Ullian give an example of an amateur magician who can tell us which card we have drawn out of a deck of 52. They consider the possibility that "[p]erhaps he resorted to telepathy or clairvoyance; but this would wreak havoc with our whole web of belief" (p. 4). Explain why this is so and what it has to do with conservatism of hypotheses.
Citations: You must give credit where credit is due. When you quote or paraphrase from the course texts, you must provide page numbers (if a reading does not have page numbers, just use PDF page numbers). You may use whichever citation style you prefer, e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. For information how to use these various styles, see https://owl(dot)purdue(dot)edu/owl/purdue_owl.html (Links to an external site.).
Grading criteria:
The individual sentences of your paper must be grammatical.
Your train of thought should be clear; that is, the reader should be able to follow the flow of your ideas.
You should support your ideas with reasons.
What to avoid:
No fluff, filler, or wasted words, e.g., don’t start the paper with: “From the dawn of humanity philosophers have debated the nature of science…” Make your words count.
Don’t make unsupported assertions, e.g., “Physics is the best science.”
Watch our for repetitive writing as it is often a sign of disorganized thinking.
Writing advice: Do more than one draft of the paper. Revise your work to improve clarity.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Paper 1
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Prompt 1
A scientific argument can be spoken or written and is not complex nor logically precise, according to John Ziman (p. 4). By this, Ziman means that any serious person can effectively conduct a scientific practice because one does not need to be taught how to conduct one. Science is different from other studies like religion studied in schools and religious places like mosques because it is done practically. Two arguments inform the non-complexity of science practice and are not logically precise, as Ziman describes it.
Scientific arguments are not complex. They involve simple processes that use easy terms that most literate people can understand. The science research process involves simple steps and considerations that everyone can follow. According to Ziman, scientific research uses extremely technical and complex terms expressed simply and logically to make it understandable to the average reader (p. 4). For example, a scientific researcher can handle a problem on biomedicine, and the report should be understood by everybody, including those not familiar with the medical jargon. The same applies to research in other fields of study. Ziman compares the jargon in mathematical problems and scientific arguments asserting that mathematical jargon remains the same and is rarely understood by everybody who comes across the report, whereas the scientific research is accommodative. Mathematics uses complex formulae that may not be easy to break down and explain to readers more simply. Therefore, this makes it not complex.
The scientific research is not logically precise because it involves specific steps to arrive at the final report explaining the findings and the discussion. The process of making a scientific argument takes time. One has to follow steps like conducting a study, collecting data, calculating relationships mathematically, then translating the findings into a simple and understandable language. Ziman says that science is public knowledge (p. 4), meaning it has to be received most understandably. Preparing public knowledge is not an easy and precise way. Instead, it is prepared in the most sophisticated way.
Ziman holds this view because science is not a research area that one can learn and master in class. Taking lessons about certain subjects means that one can learn their basics and how everything operates. However, researchers go to the field and work under professionals who supervise their practice in a scientific topic until the last stage. Science is true and cannot be twisted. It does not contain opinions from people. Instead, it carries facts from researched work. Ziman notes that scientific theories must survive a bid deal of testing and critical study by other disinterested and competent who must be persuaded (p. 5). This means that the objective of a scientific argument is not to be accepted by all without contradictions. Instead, it must be criticized by experts from various fields and approved as an informative piece.
Scientific research is an activity conducted by more than one person, meaning it is a social activity. The science research process involves several people who ensure that the findings...
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