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The morphology of theory (Definitions (“Theory is a group of laws…

- - - - 1) Formal language systems:
        
        both formal language systems and natural language systems include elements, formation rules and definitions
        
        formal language system includes a complete list of the primitive elements of the system, a dictionary showing how all of the system’s nonprimitive terms are derived from the primitive elements, and a complete explication of the formation rules specifying how elements can be combined to form permissible statements
      - 2) Axiomatic
        formal systems
        
        A fully formalized theory includes a formal language system that has been axiomated
        
        The axiomatization of a formal language system
        requires 1) the adoption of rules of transformation
        and 2) the selection of appropriate
        fundamental statements or axioms
        
        Transformation rules detail how statements can be combined to deduce other statements in the system
        
        After that, the selection of appropriate fundamental statements or axioms to separate fundamental statements from derived or deduced statements
        
        Criteria for selecting the appropriate fundamental statements: free form contradiction, independent, sufficient, necessary
      - 3) Rules of interpretation
        
        An axiomatic formal language system becomes a fully formalized theoretical system when a complete set of appropriate semantic rules of interpretation for the elements or terms in the formal language system have been developed
        
        The semantic rules are referred to as measures, indicants, operational definitions, coordinating definitions, correspondence rules, or epistemic correlations
      - Issues in formalization
        
        The process of formalization begins in earnest only after the theory has been proposed
        
        Warning against the premature formalization of theories -> inhibiting scientific creativity
        
        Requires great effort
        
        Few theories in any of the sciences have been fully formalized
        
        Primary purpose of formalization lies in evaluating theoretical structures, not in discovering or creating them
        
        For many marketing theories, the partial formalization of the theory is an absolutely necessary precondition for meaningful analysis