Theory  

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-[[Image:Darwin ape.jpg|200px|thumb|right|As "[[Darwinism]]" became widely accepted in the 1870s, good-natured caricatures of him with an [[ape]] or [[monkey]] body symbolised evolution.]]+[[Image:Sign and signifier as imagined by de Saussure.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Linguistics: [[Signified]] (concept) and [[signifier]] (sound-image) as imagined by de Saussure]]
-[[Image:Ethics by Spinoza.jpg|Spinoza's|thumb|left|200px|By virtue of his [[magnum opus]], the posthumous ''[[Ethics (book)|Ethics]]'', [[Spinoza]] is considered one of [[Western philosophy|Western philosophy's]] definitive ethicists.]]+{| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
 +| style="text-align: left;" |
 +"In relation to their [[philosophical theory|philosophical system]]s, most [[philosopher]]s are like a man who builds an enormous castle and lives in a shack close by." -- [[Building an enormous castle and living in a shack close by|[...]]]
 +|}
 +[[Image:Plato and Aristotle in The School of Athens painting by Raphael.jpg|thumb|right|200px|
 +This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the ''[[philosophy]]'' series.
 +<br>Illustration: Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), a detail of ''[[The School of Athens]]'']]
 +[[Image:Diagram of the human mind, from Robert Fludd (1574-1637), Utriusque cosmic maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica.jpg|thumb|right|200px|
 +This page '''{{PAGENAME}}''' is part of the ''[[knowledge]]'' pages.
 +<br>
 +Illustration: Diagram of the human mind, from ''[[Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica]]'', page 217[http://www.archive.org/stream/utriusquecosmima02flud#page/217/mode/1up] by [[Robert Fludd]]]]
 +[[Image:Vitruvian Man by Da Vinci.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''[[Vitruvian Man]]'' by [[Leonardo da Vinci]], see [[man is the measure of all things]]]]
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In modern [[science]], the term "theory" refers to [[Scientific theory|scientific theories]], a well-confirmed type of explanation of [[nature]], made in a way [[Consistency|consistent]] with [[scientific method]], and fulfilling the [[Scientific theory#Characteristics of theories|criteria]] required by [[modern science]]. Such theories are described in such a way that any scientist in the field is in a position to understand and either provide empirical support ("[[Proof (truth)|verify]]") or empirically contradict ("[[Falsifiability|falsify]]") it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge, in contrast to more common uses of the word "theory" that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which is better defined by the word 'hypothesis'). Scientific theories are also distinguished from [[hypothesis|hypotheses]], which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and [[scientific laws]], which are descriptive accounts of how nature will behave under certain conditions. In modern [[science]], the term "theory" refers to [[Scientific theory|scientific theories]], a well-confirmed type of explanation of [[nature]], made in a way [[Consistency|consistent]] with [[scientific method]], and fulfilling the [[Scientific theory#Characteristics of theories|criteria]] required by [[modern science]]. Such theories are described in such a way that any scientist in the field is in a position to understand and either provide empirical support ("[[Proof (truth)|verify]]") or empirically contradict ("[[Falsifiability|falsify]]") it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge, in contrast to more common uses of the word "theory" that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which is better defined by the word 'hypothesis'). Scientific theories are also distinguished from [[hypothesis|hypotheses]], which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and [[scientific laws]], which are descriptive accounts of how nature will behave under certain conditions.
- +==Etymology==
 +From Middle French ''théorie'', from Late Latin ''theōria'', from Ancient Greek ''θεωρία'' (''theōría'', “contemplation, speculation, a looking at, things looked at”), from ''θεωρέω'' (theōréō, “I look at, view, consider, examine”), from ''θεωρός'' (theōrós, “spectator”), from ''θέα'' (théa, “a view”) + ''ὁράω'' (horáō, “I see, look”).
==See also== ==See also==
*[[List of notable theories]] *[[List of notable theories]]

Revision as of 08:31, 17 October 2019

Linguistics: Signified (concept) and signifier (sound-image) as imagined by de Saussure
Enlarge
Linguistics: Signified (concept) and signifier (sound-image) as imagined by de Saussure

"In relation to their philosophical systems, most philosophers are like a man who builds an enormous castle and lives in a shack close by." -- [...]

 This page Theory is part of the philosophy series. Illustration: Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), a detail of The School of Athens
Enlarge
This page Theory is part of the philosophy series.
Illustration: Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), a detail of The School of Athens
 This page Theory is part of the knowledge pages.  Illustration: Diagram of the human mind, from Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, page 217[1] by Robert Fludd
Enlarge
This page Theory is part of the knowledge pages.
Illustration: Diagram of the human mind, from Utriusque cosmi maioris scilicet et minoris metaphysica, page 217[1] by Robert Fludd

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Theory is a contemplative and rational type of abstract or generalizing thinking, or the results of such thinking. Depending on the context, the results might for example include generalized explanations of how nature works, or even how divine or metaphysical matters are thought to work. The word has its roots in ancient Greek, but in modern use it has taken on several different related meanings.

One modern group of meanings emphasizes the speculative and generalizing nature of theory. For example in the arts and philosophy, the term "theoretical" may be used to describe ideas and empirical phenomena which are not easily measurable. And by extension of the philosophical meaning, "theoria" is also a word still used in theological contexts. As already in Aristotle's definitions, theory is very often contrasted to "practice" (from Greek praxis, πρᾶξις) a Greek term for "doing", which is opposed to theory because pure theory involves no doing apart from itself. A classical example of the distinction between theoretical and practical uses the discipline of medicine: medical theory involves trying to understand the causes and nature of health and sickness, while the practical side of medicine is trying to make people healthy. These two things are related but can be independent, because it is possible to research health and sickness without curing specific patients, and it is possible to cure a patient without knowing how the cure worked.

In modern science, the term "theory" refers to scientific theories, a well-confirmed type of explanation of nature, made in a way consistent with scientific method, and fulfilling the criteria required by modern science. Such theories are described in such a way that any scientist in the field is in a position to understand and either provide empirical support ("verify") or empirically contradict ("falsify") it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge, in contrast to more common uses of the word "theory" that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which is better defined by the word 'hypothesis'). Scientific theories are also distinguished from hypotheses, which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and scientific laws, which are descriptive accounts of how nature will behave under certain conditions.

Etymology

From Middle French théorie, from Late Latin theōria, from Ancient Greek θεωρία (theōría, “contemplation, speculation, a looking at, things looked at”), from θεωρέω (theōréō, “I look at, view, consider, examine”), from θεωρός (theōrós, “spectator”), from θέα (théa, “a view”) + ὁράω (horáō, “I see, look”).

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