Science stands for that internal human quest for knowledge, power and recognition. Scientific methodology is the means to achieving these ends. There are two classic Methodological approaches: The Deductive and Inductive. With deduction you extrapolate the particular from the general. With induction you extrapolate the general from that particular.
Deduction.
All people are mortal (rule)
I am a person (case study)
I'm mortal (result).
Induction (using the example of a Turkey).
Turkeys are treated well by humans (situation)
Turkeys continues to be treated well by humans (situation).
Turkey is always treated well by humans. (Rule only valid till day of slaughter).
The danger of the induction method is that we can be lead to a false conclusion even if we start out with the correct assumptions. For example if the turkey is fed everyday by the farmer, we cannot predict that the farmer will slaughter it one day. It makes no sense to challenge and modify the assumption repeatedly until it is irrefutable.
In everyday life, though, we do the opposite: we developed a set of rules based on personal experience and then apply these to other experiences.
'Science is a cemetery of dead ideas' Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo
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