issue184 永不言弃互改小组 by mycolting

MYcoltingUID: 2563080

TOPIC: ISSUE184 - "It is a grave mistake to theorize before one has data."

WORDS: 527 TIME: 00:40:00 DATE: 2009-3-7 13:20:55

The speaker asserts that the only time it is not a grave mistake to theorize is when one has enough data which fully support and demonstrate the right of his notion. However, as far as I am concerned, not all the disciplines must follow the steps as the speaker extend, we should take an attitude that concrete analysis of concrete problems.

Admittedly, I do concede some disciplines and realms of research demand accurate data to test the reliability of the theory, whose result, under some circumstances, may just be opposite to our own imagination or speculation. Consider, for example, this is a famous story which tells us experience is not always right. Aristoteles, the famous and sophisticated philosopher in the history of human, had concluded that if two spheres were thrown from the same height and at the same time, the heavier one would use less time to arrive at the ground which is in proportion to their ratio of weights. Yet, through the experiment of Galileo, we know that mistake dominate human for two thousand years. Undoubtedly, from the above analysis, we can safety conclude that data is indeed important for theories of some fields.

However, it is true that without data, some theories cannot be announced right, but there are exceptions in other realms of scholar and research. Take the theory physics as an example to aptly illustrate my position. If we cast a look back at the process of discovering the theory of relative, we may be surprised to find out the fact that no experiments emerged in that process of great and significant discovery, Einstein just through pure speculation of formulas and successfully conclude that the application of the law of Newton cannot work in the situation of super high speed. Though we today have demonstrate the reliability of his theory, in the original time when relative was put forward soon no effective and feasible approach can be found to test the theory. Nonetheless, there were still many scientists support the theory of relative because the reason that in the realm of theory physics, not all the time can we through experience to test a new theory due to the limit of technology and facility.

On balance, in my view of point when faced with theory with data or not, our judgment should be determined by a case-by-case situation. For example, when it comes to the scholar and research which place emphasis on data, such as chemistry, statistics, and so forth, the lack of data, actually, greatly undermined the reality of the conclusion. On the other hand, if we were studying issue on pure theory, such as philosophy, literature, theory physics and so on, data may not play an important and necessary role in these researches. Simply put, different disciplines need different attitudes.

To sum up, it is presumptuous to judge as that theory before one has data is a grave mistake according to the assertion of speaker. I am strongly in favor of the notion that in different cases, different attitudes should be taken. That is to say, data is necessary to some theory while is not of necessity to other fields.