Misconception

The error in the narrower sense, a false assumption, assertion, opinion or a false belief, the Claiming, My end or each believer of the truth of his statement (s) is convinced.

Unlike a lie, when the truth has been deliberately falsified, an error arises from unintentionally wrong information or conclusions. In the broader sense of the notion of error is also applied to non-linguistic actions, insofar as they result from an assumed true false claim, opinion or a false belief.

Controversial is the opinion that even machines " wrong " can - not because of incorrect conclusions ( the follow on machines always the strict rules of logic), but by false information. The error is linked to awareness, unlike a mistake. A machine can simulate an error if necessary.

It is possible to distinguish two basic types of error:

Error from an epistemological point of view

In the theory of knowledge is examined from time immemorial causes and conditions for the occurrence of errors. The ancient philosophers saw the source of error in the imperfection of the sensory perception level, in the imperfection of the cognitive ability of humans. In modern times, Francis Bacon examined the sources of errors in the false ideas, which he called mirages or idols. One can, as Bacon, only free from these sources of errors, by adhering to the experiment and to such a method of knowledge as the induction. Leibniz spoke of the following four causes of error:

Moreover, in his view, to see a serious source of error in the belief in authority and in the passion. Thomas Hobbes and John Locke saw the sources of errors in breach of the rules of logic in the formation of judgments. According to David Hume taught the experience of a mistake as to the imperfection of the inductive inference. Without this experience you would the habit Moderate attach too much weight. Immanuel Kant stated as the cause of the error, the moral imperfection of human nature.

Hegel approached the genetic, rational interpretation of the cause of the error. The mistake, according to Hegel, is a moment in the development of truth. The error is on one side the true state of things again, but about him is the knowledge of the truth. Hegel further distinguished the error of random errors.

In the dialectic considering truth and error as mutual context. A level of truth is only a relative truth in general and with increasing knowledge on the error as soon as a deeper truth was found.

Scientific errors

The science provides not only new knowledge but also examples of errors, such as the notion of a universal ether. A mistake can be the result of hasty, not thorough and logical conclusions, as well as subjective views and prejudices, for example. Often the error is the result of incomplete knowledge of the state of affairs in the investigated area. Not infrequently, a mistake is caused by the fact that only limited means and methods of knowledge are applied; but if improved methods are in the process of further studies are available, the error starts to disappear, and the truth is approached. In principle, known to science, similar to the Hegelian dialectic process, no incontrovertible truth. Any theory can be tested by hypotheses and optionally converting the error. According to Jürgen Mittelstraß errors have in science a considerable heuristic value because it can be a door opener for new information under certain circumstances.