THE REALITY IN SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE*
Oscar Martinez Peñate International Relations BA University of Central America (UACA), Costa Rica M. A. in Political Science at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Canada Coordinator UFG-Editors Universidad Francisco Gavidia ompenate@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT There are different paths to reality, they are determined by the knower, being instrumental methodological study object, epistemological axis, among others. Reality presents several faces, what is observable and what is perceived sensory empirical data obtained correspond to the visible, the main thing is to discover the hidden side, which is behind the perceptible or data. Epistemology is the whole process of obtaining scientific knowledge, ranging from the pre knowledge to get to know the hidden side, one thing is what is seen and what is not, and one that is not seen, is really it is. APPROACHES AND CONCEPTS There are different ways of perceiving or interpreting reality, including the reductionist and holistic, the reality is a universe that contains the social and the natural, between them and dialectical relationships are permanent, which are constantly changing. Conceptions of reality ranging from the world of ideas that are formed through the senses, or data, which will be the substance, the concrete, because according to this current, the reality is conceived constituted by the data set results of causality. Plato believed that our could be manipulated and file a fictitious reality, at once, that ignorance can lead us to have a distortion of reality, but there is not true, this situation illustrates in his work The Republic, in the book seventh, where he presents the allegory of the cave. (Plato, 2005) After Plato's Republic, wrote the dialogue Theaetetus, in this work leads us to conclude that scientific knowledge is not absolute or all, there's really not yet been discovered, but is not that there is real, until it is discovered there and not at the same time, this philosophical Plato position coincides with quantum mechanics. Plato explains in the Theaetetus, "the problem of the One and the Many, warning that the One (what" is ") it must be because even the" other "(which no one, not" is ") has being.
That is, the "being" because "is" and that "is not" similarly can say that the "not" is because "it is" while "is not." (Hernandez, 2003, p. 31) Aristotle, on the contrary, for him the data perceived by the senses are reliable with reality, that perception is rational, it is the result of the processing of sensory data through reason, thought "the social realities in terms of nature." (Gonzalez, 1997, p. 535) Immanuel Kant took both positions, the reality perceived by the senses and rational judgments to explain reality, "Kant extracted the category of reality, the concurring judgments." (Franceschi, 1994, p. 164) Kant argued that the relationship between subject and object reality is a "quality of being and essence to be perceived by an observer-interpreted." (Romeo, nd, p. 52) Karl Marx said that philosophers were concerned with interpreting reality, but to transform it, however, to occur one must first interpret, and he did it through a thorough investigation of political economy, better known as The Capital in this work exposes and explains the cornerstone of capitalist exploitation, he called goodwill . "We must rethink the thesis of Karl Marx and progressively transcend the biased and distorting interpretation towards understanding reality under the assumption that compression and transformation are inseparable terms." (Sanson, 2010, p. 9) In the theory of knowledge are, among others, three approaches to reality, the first is empiricism, holds that whatever is real can experience, the second is rationalism position is that the only reality is the product of reason and is the only source of knowledge, and the third is the transcendental idealism is a syncretism of the above. In this order, we can mention objectivism and subjectivism, the philosopher Ortega y Gasset, tried to overcome these approaches reality, considering that reality is only one, but that reality has more than one face, to which he he called, perspectivism, however reality has several faces are real, according to the position occupied by the knower being well change the perspective. According to Ortega, "Perspective is one component of reality. A reality that is offered in the same way to different audiences is an impossibility, as absurd as an absolute point of view. "(" History of Philosophy "nd) Emile Durkheim, meanwhile, explained as the first basic rule to consider social facts as things, which means address them from a scientific point of view, ie, not only the morphology and forms, but also its contents. (Durkheim , 1990, p. 31). We note that interpretation or perception of what it means really is not a matter of scientific order, but philosophical or linguistic.
According to Cecilia Tovar in his review of the book which made Alberto de la Torre, in his book Quantum Physics for Philosophers. It is wrong to assume that they are the new discoveries in science which requires us to go beyond the sensible to access the real, since the philosophical attitude now required (and from its appearance) go beyond the sensible to access , not the real, but to the explanation of the sensible, which is presented as the real in the first place. (Hernandez, 2003, p. 33) This situation raised back to the beginning, to conclude with the epistemological philosophical development that knowledge of reality is entirely chimerical, and that the best know part of reality, not reality itself. CRITICAL REFLECTION Phenomena or empirical objects of natural or social reality that are explained or not ate贸ricamente, which are important for its dynamic and dialectical effect, with their internal processes and mechanisms in a time and space determined also by its effect of causality in reality, they are suitable to become objects of study. The object of study is built upon the notion that having a part of that reality. The cognitive challenge is to move from the observable to the occult. At the time of constructing the object of study, one of the most important elements is the knowledge of theories on that part of reality, to select the theoretical approach and develop the conceptual framework and, from this, define the epistemological axis to guide research, the question is to decide if done through a hypothesis or a question, ie, verification or discovery, in short, both are a contrasting reality. The choice between hypotheses and questions, it is not fanciful, but responds, inter alia, the purpose and interest of the researcher, the methodological tools used, and the target population to which the research is directed. The hypothesis is a tentative explanation of an affirmation or denial, which ultimately will be approved or rejected by the outcome of the investigation, which is verification. The hypothesis, to the extent that resists falsalidad or testing is consolidated. This situation falsalidad hypothesis is to some extent, similar to the appearance of new scientific theory that makes its way, and manages to be replacing the old paradigm by building a scaffold of concepts and categories that positively resists falsalidad , to establish itself as the new paradigm that replaces the "normal science." As for the question as epistemological axis, not to simply respond through a collection of empirical data, there is a datatismo or a Dada, but in building data from the epistemic and theoretical approach of the researcher .
Situation is different when the deductive research aims to validate or confirm a theory from the data, and when the inductive researcher tries to find a theory that explains the data obtained from reality. The epistemological axis will become the transverse axis to guide the course of the research project, then proceed to specify the quantitative and qualitative relevant and appropriate to address the subject of study methodologies. Karl Marx, in the process of scientific inquiry raised in the introduction to the work, Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy, the real-world knowledge is incomplete; to the extent that a representation of that part of reality is formed, will be ordered to the development of abstract determinations and the definition and concept creation, to make way for a constructed entirely up to the abstract with the development of categories of analysis, which will give a historical concrete totality to return to the real world, with a better knowledge constituted by many definitions and relationships. (Dussel 1985 F.) The real existing concrete belongs to the real world and the full representation (chaotic entirety) belongs to the conceptual world, is the dialectical transition from the concreteabstract-concrete to achieve by analyzing simpler definitions, and it is from this point that return to the real world, which is the result, not the starting point, however, although it seems contradictory is the starting point, because the more it approaches the more it approaches subjectivity to objectivity. Using a research method depends not only on knowing subject, but the object of study, you can even use more than one method if the same tools are appropriate and relevant to the research problem; there is no single method of scientific research, however its properties are the other methods, for this reason, it is common to use the term methodology rather than method. Moreover, the research problem is not the same as the statement, both are specific and defined, have their particular features, the confusion stems from the fact that the two occur simultaneously. HIDDEN REALITY The construction of scientific knowledge begins with a theoretical approach, and not directly with the study of the part of reality that problematize. The theory is the starting point from which the object of study, the components of the research process and its phases, that is, how scientific knowledge is generated, is constructed to a critical position to justify or invalidate within the historical, social, economic, cultural, etc. context, precisely that out, because these factors may have affected directly or indirectly, or otherwise have been able to determine the condition or special circumstance that occurred knowledge scientist.
Epistemology is globally considered the complete study of the development of scientific knowledge production, from start to finish, is considered a validation of the epistemological scientism. "Is this then, who studies, evaluates and criticizes the set of problems in the production process of scientific knowledge." (AndrĂŠs & Francy, 2014, p. 2) The epistemology emphasizes the form of knowledge production, and not on scientific knowledge itself, that is, studies the multivariate conditions be conscious in relation to the object of study, consider the sources and origins of the construction of knowledge and mechanisms, concepts and methodological ways of approaching the hidden reality. Ontologically in general handles reflect on the phenomenon of reality, relationships, characteristics, processes and mechanisms; uses abstract conceptualization of a particular phenomenon, so as to approach from the relevant construction and conceptual categories, with methodological tools, which will allow its approximation to reality not visible, it is there, and has interests in the subject matter. The subject-object relations, objectivity-subjectivity, form-matter, etc., are dichotomous terms that are part of a whole, both belong to the same ontological and epistemological reality, they are indispensable for the development of scientific knowledge, usually without one, you can not grow a proper view of the object of study. The intransitive science refers to the fact not sensitive to the hidden and which exists independently of being cognizant, are those structures with causal linkages and trends shaping the processes and internal mechanisms. The intransitive is the ontological waiting to be explained by science and theories that constitute the epistemological, the transitive knowledge is constructed on the basis of past contributions of science, ie, the transitive part of himself, to better apprehension and scientifically explain the intransitive. The transitive knowledge changes as it manages to give a better understanding and consistent reflection of reality intransitive, because among others, scientific and technological advancement of the instruments that make the methods of scientific research, with the aggravating circumstance that the change of transitive knowledge is also subject to changes in the intransitive fact, the involvement of changes is mutual. Reality exists independent of the theoretical construct, is scientific research which builds a conception of it, which is not unique, because reality has many faces. The theory and methods are integral parts of scientific knowledge, the theory is the conceptual framework in which the methods are executed, the theory is consistent synthesis and structure, which arises from the result of the interpretation of a scientific research process, which reflects on all the epistemological and ontological dimension.
It is important to contrast or confrontation of theory with reality, the legitimacy and scope of their contributions. The methods are strategic procedures for a specific knowledge or a proposed cognitive goal, have an instrumental for searching that part of reality that is not visible to the naked eye, the appropriateness of the use depends, among others, be cognizant. In the construction of scientific knowledge can be used different research methods. "Research methods can be valued as a set of ordered procedures will ensure that their sharpness of mind to discover and explain the truth" (Hintelholher & Marissa, 2013, p. 4). From the heuristic point of view may use alternative methods, which may even be against the traditional position, but here raw creativity, not only in use, but in the creation of aids or modification of existing ones. Heuristic procedures usually consist of principles, rules and strategies that facilitate closer so more conducive to the object of study. Scientific research is a social production of knowledge, because it involved factors, sources, theoretical concepts, dynamics and processes that have been created or modified by members of society in a structural context in which interpersonal relationships determined breed in some cases by the relations of production and power. Scientific research is a social action or practice, developed over generations, is not simply a tabula rasa, free of value judgments and which types of scientific facts and events are inscribed, is not cumulative in the literal sense; history of scientific revolutions exemplified ruptures that have occurred in science, which is a set of skills that were developed in the historical development in specific contexts and conditions. Scientific research can result in the creation of a future "current science" which can disrupt the prevailing explanation that science has not been able to do. The scientific content is given by the capture of internal relations, since there are elements and components of reality which have specific characteristics that make the phenomena can be related among them, the internal relations do not occur automatically, but under certain conditions. Also capture the processes of reality, and not simply using the method or methods of research. One of the responsibilities of the scientist is the ability to transform knowledge of daily life in scientific knowledge, it is not true knowledge but the validity of knowledge, and has to do with the adequacy of knowledge and practice, and particularity, because general knowledge is imprecise, we can not conclude determine or science as the pursuit of truth, on the other hand, it is considered "Truth, understood as a correct definition of reality is objective truth for realistic as Popper" (Chalmers, 1982, p 204.).
The purpose of science is to falsify theories, and if these are falsifiable is because they resist the proofs are submitted, evidence is the inconsistency and proceeds for a better replacement. This approach is to mean that science is not absolute, immutable and eternal, everything is constantly changing. "The important thing here is not that a theory achieves a high level of evidence on which posits, but its efficiency depends on who is not considered a finished system, without additional processes falsification". (Hintelholher & Marissa, 2013, p. 7) The domains of reality, dominated elements we observe, is the domain of the empirical reality, which are the outward manifestations of the phenomena. Reality implies other facts we do not see directly, that is, a factual domain or events that we observed, we talk about processes but do not look that occur, occurs in a context of relationships. We have the level of mechanisms, refers to things we observe are the result given in the process of internal relations of phenomena, here are the domain of the real. The natural and social reality is dynamic and dialectical in its internal relations, ie, processes and mechanisms in time and space, has different levels of complexity. The object of study is built, is not there, is considered procedural, construction starts with the knowledge that being pre knowing possession of a reality that is constantly changing, which is related to sensory experience, reflection and conceptualization prior to the extent that is immersed in it, you realize the need for the use of instrumental methodology that were not initially considered to have a prima facie epidermal panoramic view of the object of study. CONCLUSIONS Reality has different interpretations, however, the important thing is getting the knowledge coherently what is behind the perceptible or sensible, capture this reality for a moment and responds to specific conditions, which most likely only be valid in the conjunction of that singular moment and space. Scientific knowledge is obtained to achieve this knowledge, expressed in the processes and mechanisms that occurs or there is actually formed by the set of links and internal and external relationships within and between the parts or elements containing the object of study. The reality belongs to two worlds, the real and the conceptual and the passage from the real to the conceptual to return to concrete reality is a dynamic and dialectical process, involving the development of abstract determinations, creating concepts and categories.
Reality exists independently of the theoretical concept, the object of study is being built, and the theoretical approach is first addressed, scientific knowledge is a social construction. *Escrito para Ssociólogos
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