Genuine Intellectuals. Academic and Social Responsibilities of Universities in Africa: Academic and Social Responsibilities of Universities in Africa

Chapter Four - The Scientific Method

43 Genuine Intellectuals: Academic and Social Responsibilities of Universities in Africa Chapter Four The Scientific Method T he problem which poses itself at the start of any inductive inquiry is, how are we to obtain our data, and how we must apply to these data our knowledge of Logic, in order to pass from them to the general fundamental principles of science. In other words, any investigation into the secrets of Nature and into their laws stands in need of Methodology. To facilitate the finding of a solution to this problem, let us divide the objects that the universe offers for our contemplation into two kinds, namely, the static forms of Nature, on the one hand, and her dynamic activities on the other; in other words, essences and then” operations. The study of the first class gives us such sciences as systematic Botany and Zoology or the Classificatory Sciences, as they are sometimes called; and a study of the second, the Sciences of physical law, chemistry, light, heat, electricity, magnetism and so forth. As we have already seen, Nature guards her secrets jealously; the threads of her mysterious web are not unravelled except by dint of diligent search. That is why Observation is a primordial process in scientific investigation; and this more especially where the study of essences, or the static forms of Nature is concerned. In the case of the study of her dynamic activities, Observation alone will not do. Experiment is absolutely necessary; but of Experiment there will be question later on. 44 Bernard Nsokika Fonlon Observation can be defined as the application of the faculties of man to the accurate determination of natural phenomena. Obviously, the faculties that the investigator uses immediately in Observation are his senses. But senses without mind cannot go far: it is the intelligence of man that is the real observer; the senses are but its instruments. Furthermore, if we try to take in, indiscriminately, all at once, the data that each phenomenon presents to us, we will only get confused. The mind cannot fix its attention, at the same time, on the myriad aspects of reality that sense perception presents to it. The first rule, therefore, which must be kept, inexorably, if Observation is to be effective is that it must be selective. The mind, in studying any phenomenon, must concentrate its attention on one aspect of that phenomenon to the exclusion of all others. But in order that attention should be concentrated and fixed in this way, the mind must set itselfs in every process of Observation, to answer a specific question. In other words, for Observation, to proceed surely, it must be made in the light of some hypothesis. Hypothesis are so important in scientific investigation that we must devote more space and time to them later on in this chapter. Furthermore, for effective and successful Observation, the observer must possess definite qualities of sense, mind and will; physical, intellectual and moral qualities, that is. With regard to physical qualities, the sense or senses that he employs in observing must be sound and keen. Those, for example, who suffer from colour-blindness cannot undertake observations in which the discrimination of colours is in question. At this level, man’s inventive powers, in order to render Observation unmeasurably more effective, have fashioned for him auxiliary instruments capable of registering facts which lie far beyond the ken of immediate sense-perception. This fact has proved to be of the utmost value to science; for it has enabled enquiry, in diverse 45 Genuine Intellectuals: Academic and Social Responsibilities of Universities in Africa domains, to unearth phenomena which, otherwise, would have remained for ever undiscovered. To this category of auxiliary instruments belong the microscope, the telescope, the microphone, Rontgen rays and so forth, and so forth. In so far as intellectual qualities are concerned, effective Observation demands, above all, that the mind, obviously, should be sound and keen. It must be that type of mind which does not rest satisfied until it has dug to the root of things. In other words, it must be a mind possessed by the spirit of inquiry, a mind urged relentlessly along by a burning thirst for knowledge. Without such minds, there would be no science, no philosophy. The chief moral requisite which Observation demands is impartiality, intellectual honesty. This condition is not one that is easy to fulfil; for hardly anyone comes to the task...