What are the tools available for acquiring knowledge: What is Science? What is mathematics? What is philosophy? What is basic logic (e.g. common sense or ...
Finding & Using Right Tools to Acquire Knowledge for Inventing Solution to Address Complex Unsolved Problems and Issues What are the tools available for acquiring knowledge: What is Science? What is mathematics? What is philosophy? What is basic logic (e.g. common sense or rational reasoning)? What is the purpose each one of these broad disciplines and numerous subdisciplines of each of them? What is the purpose of epistemological methods such as empiricism or rationalism? Each of them is a tool (e.g. a framework comprising collection of well-established rules, processes & principles for systematic organized enquiry & investigation of the nature & properties of physical things or aspects of physical phenomena) for acquiring evidence, facts and quantifying knowledge or gaining insights and wisdom. Also accumulating and documenting organized body of knowledge not only to pass on the knowledge but also to be verified or tested for further enquiry and investigation (e.g. if and when new evidence or anomaly is discovered). Due to lack of better term, I used the term “tool” in its broadest possible sense for encompassing such systematic enquiry, investigation and study for accumulation of knowledge and wisdom. Strong and sound “Foundation of Scientific Knowledge (comprising proven scientific facts and insights or wisdom)” is absolutely essential for technological research and progress, such as: Inventing new useful things and evolving each of the useful things. For example, mechanical engineering is an engineering tool for inventing things and processes related to machines. What is engineering or technology? The main purpose of engineering or technology research is not only to invent useful things (that includes processes) for creating useful things and processes (and also to continuously improve the useful things and processes by
innovation) by leveraging quantifiable scientific knowledge and wisdom acquired using tools such as science and mathematics. That is, scientific knowledge is the very foundation for engineering research. Each useful tool is designed to address certain kinds or classes of problems and when used properly can be very effective in addressing such kinds/classes of problems or issues in certain domains. In other words, each tool is designed or has been evolving (and hence suitable or proven to be effective) to address certain kinds/classes of issues or problems in certain domains. Likewise, each of the epistemological tools such as empiricism and rationalism provide a unique and different perspective to gain knowledge and insights (i.e. wisdom). On can gain more knowledge and wisdom by using both tools for addressing any problem or issue in both perspectives, since empiricism and rationalism are often complimentary. One can gain far deeper insights and highly comprehensive knowledge by addressing any problem in multiple perspectives. The researchers of theoretical physics extensively use 2 tools to acquire knowledge (1) process of natural science and (2) mathematics. The processes or methods of natural science are useful to investigate evidence, analyze facts and/or propose new hypothesis to explore scientific frontiers for discovering new scientific things/facts such as nature and properties of physical beings and phenomena, for expanding boundaries of knowledge (e.g. Scientific Foundations). Each tool is extremely effective in giving a unique perspective. But each of them alone can give only partial understanding or partial knowledge leaving significant unanswered questions and missing pieces. Often, each tool (i.e. perspective or knowledge) alone may be useless without perspective of the other tool for addressing many problems or issues in physics. Each tool gives unique but-partial perspective,
and when used together can give comprehensive understanding and insights. Likewise, mathematics alone can't provide comprehensive knowledge foundations for certain problems in computer science such as basic “knowledge foundations” essential for software engineering (or CBSE in particular) or real Artificial Intelligence. These areas certainly need perspective of natural science, for example, to discover reality such as nature and characteristics of physical functional components, nature and true essence of CBD (Component Based Design) of one of a kind physical products (e.g. an experimental spacecraft or prototype of next generation jetfighters) for inventing real software components that are capable of achieving real CBD for software products. Likewise, inventing real AI needs the nature and characteristics of neurons and how does they form neural networks and function in the neural networks. Mathematics alone can’t provide this kind of uniquely distinct perspective (i.e. Knowledge only natural science can provide). The researchers of computer science using only mathematics for gaining knowledge and wisdom for creating theoretical or knowledge foundation for each sub-discipline. It is foolish to address certain problems by using mathematics alone. For many problems mathematics alone can provide partial knowledge leaving many unanswered questions.
Mathematics
alone might be useful for gaining small pieces of knowledge leaving large portion of questions unanswered, in many knowledge areas that are in the domain of biological science (or sub- domains of natural science), such as, botany, zoology, bio-chemistry or virology can address many issues (e.g. gaining knowledge of facts in respective sub-domains). If a tool can't solve certain kind or class of problems or issues, isn't it common sense to try to find and use other tools that
are more appropriate for such class of problems or kind of issues? Isn't it obvious that mathematics is not a right tool for gaining knowledge, insights and wisdom for problems such as nature and properties of physical things such as functional components, nature and physical process or phenomena such as true essence of CBD (Component Based Design) of one of a kind physical products (e.g. an experimental spacecraft or prototype of next generation jetfighters). This knowledge is needed for inventing real CBD for software. The properties of neurons and how does they form neural networks and function in the neural networks is needed for inventing real AI. Such
problems
are
not
address
today,
because
Mathematics is not a right tool, and mathematics can't address such problem domain (i.e. discovering nature and characteristic of physical beings). But science is a proven to be right tool and certainly capable of addressing such class of problems or domain (i.e. gaining such knowledge, insights and wisdom). Unfortunately, many software researchers have been refusing to use any other tool other than mathematics for creating theoretical and knowledge foundation essential for software engineering. For example, the software researchers are refusing to discover nature and essential properties of physical components or nature and true essence of CBD of physical products. Is it possible to invent things like fiber optic networks, by being clueless about nature and properties of light? Is it possible to invent things like semiconductor-chips/ICs, by being clueless about the nature and properties of electrons? How is it possible to invent real software components for achieving real CBD for software by being clueless about nature and properties of physical functional components? Many software researchers blindly insist that it is impossible to invent real CBSD, without even knowing what it is (and refusing to even know what it is).
