Scientific method

Objectives of the scientific approach

• Explain observed world in terms of generalized principles
• Maximize predictive power (i.e. ``If we do x, y will probably result'')
• Hypothesis are disproved or not disproved, not proved or not proved

Approaches to scientific knowledge

• Hypothesis formulation and testing (Popper, 1972)
• Empirical generalization (Mayring, 2007; Vernadsky, 1926)
• Systems modeling (Laszlo, 1996)
• Dialectical analysis (Levins, 1998)
• Historical materialism (Hughes, 2000)

Hypothesis testing

Empirical generalization

Modeling complex adaptive systems

Dialectical analysis

Historical materialism