exact sciences

Knowledge

2022

We explain what exact sciences are and what knowledge it refers to. Other uses of this classification. Careers of exact sciences.

set knowledge whose theories and approaches can be verified factually, by means of the experimentation or others techniques considered reliable and trustworthy.

The term, however, fell into disuse and, although it is still used as more or less synonymous of the math, Today it has been understood that no scientific knowledge is exact and immutable, irrefutable or perennially true, but that the sciences update themselves as time progresses and that there are new technologies and available knowledge.

For that reason, the name of exact sciences is no longer used to refer to the “hard sciences” (those that are measurable, predictive and supposedly more rigorous), to the experimental sciences or the natural Sciencesthe latter two terms being preferred instead.

The reason this term was used has to do with the faith with which the natural sciences were understood, especially science. physical and mathematics, before the revolutionary studies of Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn, after which it is no longer possible to aspire to a total degree of certainty in any scientific field, but at most temporary truths.

Even so, it is possible that this term is still used to distinguish between colleges and certain university settings.

Other uses of the exact sciences

The terms of exact and inexact sciences, however, can be used from the point of view of the distinction between Sciences Y pseudosciences or occult doctrines. This is due to the fact that the sciences as a whole have a series of validation, refutation and demonstration mechanisms that allow their postulates to be considered true, although not totally and eternally, as we said before.

In contrast, pseudosciences and other forms of occultism lack these logical or methodological tools to verify the accuracy or certainty of their postulates, which are usually based rather on the belief, fantasy or certain common places of the culture, always being indemonstrable and, therefore, inaccurate.

But even so these terms are not the most adequate to establish a difference, and their use is usually restricted within the academic field, relegated rather to informal speech.

Exact science careers

In very general lines, the following study disciplines fall within the supposed "exact sciences":

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