How concrete facts change abstract theories
Students are learning the general principles of their subjects, so assignments and exams at undergraduate level usually demand the first kind of order (general first followed by particular).
However, in the research work which underpins all subjects, discoveries are often made by observing details which do not fit the current theory. Often the theory has to change to accommodate the particular facts. In our scientific age it is often the impact of new gadgets (such as the telescope, microscope and computer) which throws up particular facts which do not sit comfortably in the established theory.
