Intuition is important yet unnecessary in developing modern Essay Example
Intuition is important yet unnecessary in developing modern Essay Example

Intuition is important yet unnecessary in developing modern Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (928 words)
  • Published: January 17, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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According to Aristotelian philosophy, knowledge acquisition started with repeated sense experience, followed by memory and then intuition. However, the modern scientific method emphasizes observable evidence and omits the intuition step, resulting in significant progress from medieval to modern science. This essay explains why intuition is still important but not necessary in modern science. Intuition plays a crucial role in mathematical discovery by selecting and combining facts to reach meaningful conclusions. However, its limitation is that it is an internal and unconscious process that cannot be guaranteed to happen precisely. Therefore, while intuition is important, it cannot be relied upon solely for scientific discovery, as everyone cannot be a genius or a spiritually connected person to access it.The renowned scientist, Mendel, who discovered genes, faced two exam failures and remained at the level of substitute teacher (Watson 102). However, i

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ntuition is not in alignment with the framework of modern science (Ass, 634). The unreliability springs from its source- perception and memory, which are abstract and fluctuating and cannot offer causal relations to objects and events in the physical world (Ass, 644). Popper harshly criticized intuition as a myth that cannot be counted as factual in scientific procedures (Popper 53). Plato's perspective posited that intuition resulted from sense experience, triggering recollection of memories leading to knowledge of the essential reality (Lindbergh 14-15). Nonetheless, early modern scientists such as Galilee, F. Bacon, and Descartes distinguished between mind and body. The former existed in the Platonic realm of the soul, whereas the latter existed in the physical world emphasizing observation and experimentation. Consequently, intuition is not particularly useful without further development.According to Aristotle's cosmology, the heavens were believed to

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be located in the celestial region of the universe, composed of an incorruptible tether, leading to their perfectibility (Lindbergh 26-29). However, Galilee challenged this idea and proposed that the same substance made up both terrestrial and celestial objects, thereby suggesting that the Sun and Moon were likely composed of the same elements as Earth. To test his hypothesis, Galilee used a newly improved telescope and observed sunspots and lunar mountains. Plato asserted that an individual could only perceive material objects through their five senses (Plato 5-10), and Galilee's experiment supported this idea by demonstrating that the Sun and Moon were made of imperfect materials in the material realm. This conclusion aligned with Galilee's initial hypothesis and highlights the importance of conducting experiments to verify deductions (Gallivant 121). Through observation, experimentation can separate "interpretable facts from an unyielding Nature" and lead to a definitive answer (Well xx). As science continues to accumulate knowledge, discovery is inspired by justification.According to Popper (128), the latter theories are either developed by justifying, criticizing, or refuting existing empirical studies through observations. It is possible to reach a conclusion without relying on intuition, but by reviewing prior studies. These findings demonstrate that intuition is not the most fundamental key to understanding nature.

Observation is necessary in developing modern science and it is not only confined to previous studies. It is essential to observe nature before coming up with a hypothesis or conducting an experiment. The example of Gillie's discovery showed that deduction could not be proved without experimentation. The crucial role of observation in scientific development can also be supported by Darwin's derivation of Natural Selection, where he spent 15 months observing

plants and animals and collected reports from other naturalists before publishing "On the Origin of Species" (Darwin 120).

Mendel's discovery of genes was also based on careful observation and study of pea plants he grew in his garden. He generated a hypothesis that biological experiments could be quantified and deduced the significance of the ratio of red to white progeny.

After performing a quantitative experiment to count the ratios of green and yellow peas, Mendel uncovered the existence of "genes" - factors inherited from previous generations (Watson 102-104). Scientists, who observe various domains and discover recurring facts and shared attributes (Lindbergh 19), must make detailed observations and identify underlying patterns to form hypotheses that are based on fruitful combinations (Poinciana 162-170). Simply relaxing in a cafe will not yield a hypothesis. Deduction is also crucial. Aristotle defines deduction as a speech where something different from the supposed results of necessity due to making correct inferences from a premise to a conclusion. Newton utilized deduction based on the hypothesis that gravitational attraction was inversely proportional to the square of distance. He performed excellent calculations and applied the three laws of motion to the planets moving around the Sun. After many logical steps, he finally concluded that the planets' orbits were ellipses (Cohen 51-62). Without the finite number of logical steps in the deduction process, Newton could not relate his observations to his conclusion.Although the apple falling on Newton's head may have sparked intuition, it would be unreasonable to claim that the law of gravity was developed solely by this event without deduction. Deduction provides a precise explanation for quantitative laws and ultimately determines whether the conclusion should

be validated. Additionally, deduction is particularly necessary for mathematicians who are hypothesizing about natural phenomena.

Experimentation has limitations, as the results can be impacted by the constraints of reality. For instance, "forever" cannot be observed. Galilee failed to formulate the law of inertia because he only focused on physical experimentation. Conversely, Newton, building upon Galilee's experiments, examined problems in a logical deductive manner through mathematics. The abstract and purely mathematical approach endowed Newtonian mechanics with significant predictive power and led to breakthroughs in understanding previously unexplainable physical phenomena such as "circularity" and the concept of an infinite universe.

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