A theory can arise from postulates, axioms or observations.
The word theory has its origin in the Greek word theorein ( to observe ). This term was often used to refer to the visualization of a play, which may explain why, nowadays, the notion of theory allows us to refer to a provisional subject or one that is not one hundred percent real.
In any case, the historical evolution of the word allowed it to be given a more intellectual meaning and it then began to be applied to the ability to understand reality outside of sensory experiences, based on the assimilation of these experiences and their description through language.
What is a theory
Nowadays, a theory is understood as a logical system that is established from observations, axioms and postulates, and pursues the purpose of stating under what conditions certain assumptions will be carried out. For this, an explanation of the ideal medium for the development of predictions is taken as a reference point. Based on these theories, it is possible to deduce or postulate other facts through certain rules and reasoning.
The scientific theory , on the other hand, is based on the statement of an abstract hypothetical-deductive system , which establishes a scientific description based on a set of observations or experiments. The scientific theory is governed by hypotheses or assumptions that scientists are responsible for verifying.
Conjectures and hypotheses
It is important to note that there are two kinds of ideas that can be developed into a theory: conjectures (assumptions that are not supported by observations) and hypotheses (which are supported by multiple observations). These ideas, say experts, can be false, which is why they do not evolve and do not lead to a theory.
According to the scientific definition of this word, a theory is made up of a set of concepts, propositions and definitions that are related to each other and that are collected from a systematic point of view of phenomena with the aim of explaining or being able to predict a certain phenomenon.
Albert Einstein is the author of the theory of general relativity.
A question that often arises when faced with this concept is: what is the purpose of theory ? It serves to explain reality (why, how, when the phenomenon being studied occurs), to organize it into a series of concepts and ideas; it is the ultimate goal of any scientific research .
First, the theory must be presented , then explain why it is necessary to analyze the phenomenon and finally explain your ideas in a clear and concise manner. A complex phenomenon that contains other specific phenomena in its essence can be analyzed, for example: the theory of relativity can be explained in broad strokes or done so in a descriptive way in each of the phenomena that form it. It should be noted that it is common that to explain or predict any phenomenon of reality it is necessary to carefully analyze several theories that intersect, in order to find the different characteristics of the phenomenon and review each of its aspects appropriately.
Theory as an idea or assumption
The term can also refer to someone's ideas about a certain thing, or to the set of knowledge or reasoning that has been carried out on a subject, which has not been carried out through empirical procedures to prove its veracity . Erroneously, people also speak of theory when referring to the concepts that an author has on a certain subject, however in this case theory is confused with data belonging to the study of the history of ideas.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that a theory is different from a theorem. While a theory consists of a pattern of physical events that cannot be proven using basic axioms, a theorem is a proposition of a mathematical event that follows a set of axioms under a logical criterion .