What Is Science

The question of "what is science?" has become an increasingly controversial topic in the analysis of its history. Through the extensive history of science and the vast body of knowledge it has created, questions are raised as to what extent the term may be applied. Many argue that the term Science is used too loosely and that we need to draw distinctions and narrow the scope of the concept to more accurately depict history. Others believe that the term has much broader implications and that any speculation into the natural world may be deemed as Science. However, the History of Science reveals a number of patterns among the scientists who successfully constructed accurate models and explanations within their respective fields. These patterns reveal clear distinctions between what is science, and what is simply speculation.

The earliest analysis of the concept of science occurred within Greek and Hellenistic societies. Because they lived within antagonistic societies that continually challenged various ideas, they were drawn to challenge the processes in which ideas were created. Despite the fact that many of his own ideas were inaccurate models of reality, Plato had helped set a standard by which scientists would follow for centuries. He outlined how the natural world had an intrinsic design and how order was essential in revealing this design. Hellenistic philosophers expanded on Plato's concepts and created a process whereby one could criticize a particular approach within science. In their analysis of science, they raised many questions about the validity of one's scientific approach. Their questions draw accurate distinctions between effective and destructive methods of research. They asked Ð''were the senses objective or biased, did they aim for qualitative or quantitative information, and did they use deductive or inductive reasoning to draw their conclusions? They also emphasized the importance of experimentation for gathering support for their conclusions. More importantly, however, was the question of whether the scientific process had revealed an intrinsic reality or design, or whether it was an expression of an imposed design the scientist had desired to reveal.

The classic examples of this conflict between intrinsic and imposed design is revealed in the early astronomers attempt to explain the circular motion of Mars through the celestial sphere. Ironically it was Plato who had corrupted the attempts of astronomers to explain this natural phenomenon for generations to come. From his creation of Platonic solids as the composition for the cosmos, Plato made the assertion that the circle, being the ideal form, was the form of the heavens. This became a widely accepted notion throughout the entire field of astronomers as they attempted to explain the circular motion of Mars through the night sky using elaborate mathematical models following Plato's notions of the celestial sphere and circular patters. The first of these astronomers was Exodus (390-337 BC) who believed that one must impose order from the outside to the seeming disorder of the retrograde motion. He uses the creation of the hippopede model which was entirely a mathematical model that had no valid application in reality.

Ptolemy's model for explaining retrograde motion is an extremely revealing example that draws a clear distinction between science and theory. Ptolemy's model is a continuation of the notion the Ð''heavens' are governed by circles. The model uses a circular motion of Mars through a deferent around the Earth to explain its circular motion through the night sky. To maintain the uniformity of the model, he posits a fake center called an Equant. This creates