Theory

{{Definitional Topic |Question=What is theory? How should it be defined? |Description=Among the major tasks of scientonomy is to explain transitions from one accepted theory to the next. Thus, it is crucial to have a well-defined notion of theory. |Formulated Year=2015 |Author=Hakob Barseghyan, |Prehistory=Prehistory here |History=The original definition of the term was proposed by Barseghyan in 2015. It defined theory as any set of propositions that attempt to describe something.1 As such, this definition excluded normative propositions. It was eventually replaced by the definition suggested by Sebastien in 2016. |Current View=Currently, theory is defined as a set of propositions that attempt to describe or prescribe something. Theories can be descriptive (e.g. natural, social, and formal science) or normative (e.g. methodology, ethics, and axiology)2. They may be empirical or formal. They may have different levels of complexity and elaboration; they may consist of thousands of interconnected propositions or, in an extreme, of one single proposition. Examples include Einstein's theory of general relativity, the standard model in particle physics, or the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution [[CiteRef::Barseghyan (2015)|p. 3]

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|Related Topics=Method, Scientific Mosaic }}