Appropriate Measures of Progress Within the Different Scientific Disciplines

Abstract

This thesis aims to underline a weakness in the literature discussing scientific progress due to the individual necessities of the scientific disciplines and the multiplicity of approaches throughout them. I propose the division of the natural and the social sciences due to their differences in ontology, methodology, and replicability of conclusions, causing the two forms to progress with differing methods and speeds. This indicates an urgent need for type-specific literature. Two key approaches are established: goal-oriented and origin-based progress, the first of which being most appropriate for the natural sciences and the latter for social sciences. This unifies the existing literature in both discussions and highlights the necessity of their fusion.