How Are Theories Formed?

How Are Physical Theories Formed?

Here’s a brief overview of the process for physical theories. Theological and philosophical theories are similarly formed, mostly without the data component. The vague word "truth" is used below. Roughly, it means consensus, consistency, and predictability. Important it is to note that in the five steps below, answers are compounded through the vehicle of problems, or asking questions.

A. Observation: It starts with observations focused on a particular topic, such as the moon, fish, or trees. At this and the next stage axioms, the accepted truths, are formed.

B. Data Collection: Once metrics are defined, the observations are converted into empirical data, often represented as numerical values.

C. Hypothesis Formation: Hypotheses are then developed—educated guesses about how things work or behave.

D. Theory Development: When enough hypotheses are confirmed through experimentation and analysis, the framework of a theory begins to take shape. In all situations, even the axioms and data validity are under scrutiny. In fact, even the theory itself is checked and rechecked often. There is hardly any theory outside of mathematics that lasted more than a couple of centuries.

E. Refinement and Re-evaluation: As the theory evolves, new and deeper questions arise, prompting further observations and data collection. The theory may become more refined and complex, or it may be found to contain errors, in which case it is either revised or discarded.

Theory building is essentially a higher-level form of trial and error, continually seeking truth through the confirmation of hypotheses. All theories begin with imperfections and are gradually refined. Sometimes, as Thomas S. Kuhn suggests, a complete revolution in thinking occurs, leading to entirely new theories.