The Dearcation Problem Between Science And Pseudoscience

The demarcation problem between science and pseudoscience is one of the Gordian knot problems in the field of philosophy of science. Several proposals have been made in this regard. Karl Popper proposes a ‘falsification principle’ that aims to test the scientific status of a theory. Kuhn has brought forward a claim against this principle that it is only applicable to occasional revolutionary parts rather than the most part of science. However, another attempt has been made by Lakatos in which a progressive research program draws the distinction between science and pseudoscience. Despite these endeavors, Thagard provides some demarcation criteria, and then use these in determining that Creationism is not science. Analogously, Michael Ruse has argued that creationism is not science while presented a five-point distinction between science and pseudoscience. On the contrary, Lauden portrays Ruse’s criteria as discredited criteria by arguing that pseudoscience meets some of these criteria. I would like to show that these five-point criteria do work properly to segregate science from pseudoscience. In order to do that I will discuss at first Ruse’s demarcation …show more content…
His proposal encapsulates the following five characteristics;
Explanation: we can explain a matter with the aid of concerned laws, such as Newton’s laws to explain why a cannon ball goes in a parabola rather than a circle. Hence, a scientific explanation must appeal to law and must show that what is being explained had to occur (Curd and Cover: 40).
Predictions: when an explanation has been given by using laws, there is always a room for prediction. We can predict either, what will happen in the future, or what did happen in the