Theory
Theory
(Gr. theoria, viewing) The hypothetical universal aspect of anything. For Plato, a contemplated truth. For Aristotle, pure knowledge as opposed to the practical. An abstraction from practice. The principle from which practice proceeds. Opposite of practice. — J.K.F.
Hypothesis. More looselysupposition, whatever is problematic, verifiable but not verified.
(As opposed to practice) systematically organized knowledge of relatively high generality. (See “the theory of light”).
(As opposed to laws and observations)explanation. The deduction of the axioms and theorems of one system from assertions (not necessarily verified) from another system and of a relatively less problematic and more intelligible nature.
(NoteSince criteria of what is ‘intelligible’ and ‘problematic’ are subjective and liable to fluctuation, any definition of the term is bound to be provisional. It might be advisable to distinguish between laws (general statements in a system), principles (axioms), and theories (methods for deriving the axioms by means of appropriate definitions employing terms from other systems). — M.B.