How are beliefs and theories interlinked? (Passage 1)
Answer the question based on the following passages.
Passage 1
Does science relate to the authentic world? Or are its
hypothesis dependent upon certain notions that exist in the
researcher’s mind? Is science based on reliable factual
information? Ortega Y Gasset said that all ideas ripen from
(5) pre–reasoned beliefs. W. James responded that when we
accept a new ‘truth’ we go beyond old ‘facts’ and this
probably initiates the formation of new researchable
scientific theories. The beliefs and notions of today probably
can achieve the stature of being hypotheses tomorrow. It’s
(10) undoubted that beliefs are in some way responsible for
designing the theories of future. There always are cases
where humans believe in a few things existing but lack
explanation. There always are some ideas existing in nature.
We can feel them; we can believe in their existence but
(15) cannot accept them till their existence is reasonably proved.
So there is a lot of difference in believing in something and
believing that something exists.
Our beliefs are circumscribed by reasoning. We all believe in
the connection between various things. No one can deny this.
(20) All things may consistently follow each other but that does
not reveal any relation between them. There is ambiguity
because the connectivity in our mind is cooked up work.
Science limits this ambiguity and elucidates that only a
few things inter-relate according to a conceptual framework
(25) and these we declare as theories. Ideas are differentiated,
classed and checked before formulation and science claims
to possess the tools to demark, classify, study and elucidate
these ideas and relations. Science extends the green signal
to those relationships that have proved their ‘certainty’ or near
(30) certainty. All science is based on proof. The connection which
cannot be put to proof clearly is categorized as ‘false’. So
science uses its apparatus to check the practicality of relations
before formulation of its theories.
Passage 2
Superstition gives us the freedom to connect everything,
even things little known to us. People foresee their future
in the planets, some dates are auspicious, some numbers
can be unpropitious, black cats predict disaster. We fear
(5) these things because their effects, if there are any, are little
known. We cannot peek into or relate much to the future; so
we are superstitious about it.
If we cannot learn about a relationship, does that mean it
does not exist? On seeing a tiger, our sight accepts its
(10) existence and on hearing its roar also the existence of tiger
can be accepted. We can see the results of high currents and
infer or presume their existence from the ultimate wreckage.
So we as human beings have a marked correlation mechanism.
But our knowledge is limited. Whatever our sense of assessment
(15) of correlations, there can always be a new amazing insight
in connection with the idea. We cannot say we have evolved
with the perfect and satisfactory derivation, as all our knowing
is also limited.
All Aristotelian, Newtonian works and physical theories
(20) divulge connections which were unimagined before their
revelation. Such people developed new tools to establish
connectivity and slowly developed a theory in the bargain.
So we can say, probably all superstitions could turn
tomorrow’s science given the right treatment. Relationships
(25) of Earth with the moon, the sun, the planets were all
based on superstitions in pre historic times but people
worked on these superstitions and slowly a real relation
based on science was derived. All superstitions were shed
and real theory evolved. So we can say superstitions are
(30) possibly the mother to most of scientific theories.