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Theory of Knowledge
Without the assumption of the existence of uniformities there can be no knowledge.
One of the presumptions of acquiring knowledge, particularly knowledge in a scientific or mathematical context, is that there must be causal relationships that can be observed or intuited between different phenomena. Human beings base their behaviors on this presumption on a regular basis. We wake up in the morning to the sound of an alarm clock and assume we can shut off that alarm using that particular button because we did so on previous occasions. We do not assume that every experience with an alarm clock is a new encounter. Similarly, we assume that the laws of gravity will secure ourselves in place to the earth and we will not go flying off into space. In science and math, the presumption that natural and mathematical laws have a consistent and abiding existence (even with certain exceptions) and that causality can be deduced ensures that when the same cause is generated between two distinct phenomena, the same result will occur again.
Knowledge may be observed in an inductive fashion, in other words, different phenomena in a variety of contexts may be observed. But deductive logic is still required to arrive at certain basic principles. Deductive...
In contrast, with inductive reasoning, there is data, then conclusions are drawn from the data (Bradford). But in both instances, some presumptions of uniformities must hold fast. When there is a general principle from which there is assumed to be some consistency, such as the law of gravity or relativity, then assumptions about new phenomena in science can be made; after observing consistency on an inductive basis (for example, similarities of responses to a particular drug), then an assumption can be made regarding the scientific utility of the pharmaceutical. Inductive logic, rigorously performed, is the primary assumption behind the scientific method, whereby a hypothesis is generated based upon past research about a new scenario. After observing the scenario, the hypothesis is either proven correct or incorrect. Regardless of the outcome, the experiment can and must be able to be performed by another individual. In other words, the uniformity of knowledge must be able to be replicated by another individual.
The challenge of consistency is one of the objections raised to qualitative versus quantitative research in science. The quantitative…
