A factual statement would be something like ``It is raining outside''. This statement can be proved right or wrong.
Factual statements are different from value statements in the sense that they cannot be proved right or wrong Values are something important to you personally. However, values do not fit the thinking paradigm of logical positivism, because there is no scientific clarification for values. Objective truth is of importance in this frame of reference, and subjective truth is seen as less significant
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Mathematical statements are logical statements, eg 2 + 2 = 4.The Shorter Oxford Dictionary defines empiricism as ``the theory that regards experience as the only source of knowledge''. In other words, empiricism refers to the belief that the only real knowledge one has comes from experience Ð either one's own or those of others.
Empiricists propose that knowledge gained from our senses (eg seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, tasting) is the most reliable kind of knowledge.
The most straightforward problems would be from the natural sciences or in mathematics or language analysis. One could also approach problems in the human and social sciences from this perspective, as long as one uses scientific methods (eg observation, testing, induction or deduction). If we want to research the question: ``Why is the divorce rate so high in South Africa?'' we will probably follow some of these steps: . Set hypotheses . Define precisely what the different cultural/religious groups in the country see as divorce . Find statistics already done on the subject . Get a sample from the population to study . Draw up carefully worded questionnaires
APPLICATION IN PRACTICE
This way of thinking often reduces human beings to purely physical organisms (a bit like plants and rats in a laboratory). Researchers who study human beings through the theoretical framework mentioned above are convinced that they can find out why people behave in a certain manner. These scientists believe that they can control human behaviour.
This way of thinking is especially part of the theory of behaviourism. Logical empiricism gave rise to this theory. The theory of behaviourism claims that human beings are entirely physical; that our minds are no more
than our brains and that our brains are simply complex electronic devices like computers. This computer'' receives input from the world around us and then responds to this input Ð its response is our behaviour. The theory of behaviourism is associated with three people in particular, namely IP Pavlov, BF Skinner and J Watson. Pavlov was the researcher who performed the well-known experiments with dogs, studying stimulus and response reactions known asunconditioned behaviour''.
This theory can be applied with great success in teaching and training. The basic purpose of human sciences is to solve problems by changing people's behaviour.
With positive (reward) and negative (``punishment'') reinforcement, one gets results. Objectives are important in order to get results.
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