Science does not ask “Why?”
Because it can only answer “What?” and “How?”
There comes a time for every graduate student pursuing a doctorate in philosophy (PhD) when they must narrow down their research interests and make a commitment to a dissertation topic. Usually, they’ve had a general sense of the field in which they’re working, they’ve read an extraordinary number of research papers and books on their topic (so they understand where the knowledge gaps, or areas of ignorance are to be found) and they’re on the cusp of advancing from student to a more mature status we call a candidate. Maarten van Doorn just published an article that included a few paragraphs about autonomy, and it reminded me that he may be at or near this stage.
Read the full story for free at https://seagertp.substack.com/p/science-vs-religion-belief?sd=pf
There are typically two approaches for formalizing or structuring their research: 1) hypotheses, 2) research questions. They are not mutually exclusive, but most students will either choose one or the other. The hypotheses approach is more popular in engineering (my field) and physical sciences, which lend themselves to experimental falsification. The best hypotheses are conjectures, or guesses, about the relationship between independent and dependent…
