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| Allegory of science Attributed to Sebastiano Conca |
The systematic study of the structure and behavior of the
physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the
testing of theories against the evidence obtained.
This definition is complete, because it
covers the
three branches in which scientific knowledge is normally classified: theory
(reasoning), observation and experimentation. We could add applied science
(technology), which is often classified separately.
On the other hand, scientism is defined thus:
The belief that scientific methods can be applied to all problems, with the consequent application of inappropriate scientific methods in unsuitable circumstances.
