Originally Posted by
Soupman
You might want to Google what axioms are as well as tautology.
The assumption about Newton comes from the premise that modern science, stemming from the enlightenment period, is based on empiricism and rationalisation. It's the main reason, Europe triggered this rapid advancement in science present today.
No longer is it appropriate for claims to be made and simply believed. Naturalism instead, or the empirical basis, is the foundation for claiming and falsifying everything. That's the contactenated view - yes knowledge can be derived from speculation and guesswork, nevertheless as much or this as possible must be routed in empiricism. Epistemology is a complex and fascinating subject.
If you want an example of a scientific theory derived from observations, well I can create one. The earth looks and appears to be flat ad infinitum - hence from these observations it makes sense to scientifically conclude the earth is flat. Refutations to this scientific theory can arise with the introduction of more complex observations thus subsequently complex rationale.
(I'm not a flat earther, nevertheless I don't care about exploring the proof either way mainstream science concludes in peer reviewed journals)