Questions tagged [philosophy-of-science]
for applied philosophical questions about the study of science, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and the scientific method
0
votes
3answers
138 views
Are we seeing useless physics today [on hold]
Are we seeing useless physics today?
By useless physics I refer to for example the study of multiverse(s): it is useless because there is no use for it to mankind - except that there are physicists ...
4
votes
1answer
276 views
What is the relevance of applicability to the natural sciences in pure mathematics?
I think I am coming to a good, new understanding of the relationship of pure mathematics to the natural sciences. A major concern of mine is just how reliable is rigorous (characteristically "pure") ...
1
vote
6answers
128 views
Can a theory that is now wrong be right in the future?
For example we take as granted that energy is conserved (Energy conservation Principle). Imagine someone “build” a theory where the energy conservation doesnt apply. Scientific community should reject ...
1
vote
4answers
122 views
Would philosophy still exist if there was no life? [closed]
Would philosophy still exist without life? For example, for us humans, philosophy answers big questions and sort of governs society. But is philosophy something that would exist without life? On this ...
0
votes
1answer
173 views
Can our universe be a pocket in a bigger unseen eternal universe?
Taking time as a fourth dimension is due to Einstein because of the speed of light being fixed. But why should such a finding have so important consequence on our philosophical contemplation of ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Are paradigms still the driving force of scientific revolution?
I read long time ago about Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kuhn's demonstrate that scientific paradigms are the driving force that makes science go on, but more for social reasons than ...
1
vote
0answers
27 views
Is there a philosophical position for and against the idea that every causal entity contributes to every effect?
Is there a philosophical position for and against the idea that every causal entity can in principle contribute to every effect?
So do some e.g. physical explanations claim that entities of type X ...
-4
votes
3answers
90 views
If the universe is flat, how can the Earth be round? [closed]
Just another silly question that may deserve a wise answer.
5
votes
2answers
202 views
Are the “laws” of deductive logic empirically verifiable?
"Is Logic Empirical?" strongly suggests a question that I would like very much to get a handle on.
That phrase is a title of an article by Hilary Putnam, and, according to synopses/reviews, the ...
3
votes
6answers
245 views
What are examples of causes that do not require energy to produce an effect?
As a comment to an answer Conifold mentioned that "Causes may not require any energy to produce the effect".
After thinking about that, I couldn't come up with any such causes outside of metaphysical ...
2
votes
0answers
186 views
Philosophy of Physics/Mathematics PhD with Mathematics/Physics undergrad (no philosophy undergrad)
I've found that I'm really interested in some research in the philosophy of mathematics and physics that's currently happening at various institutions. However, I don't have much experience in ...
1
vote
4answers
256 views
Where is the line between Quantum Mechanics and Relativity?
I've asked the question below on Physics SE but it seems an answer may not be straight forward...
Question: Is there any answers from Epistemology or philosophy-of-science?
Its often said QM is ...
2
votes
1answer
42 views
Null Hypothesis Appearing in Everyday Life [closed]
What are examples of a Null Hypothesis we use in everyday life but do not recognize?
-1
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2answers
40 views
What are the two common sense ideas that seem to conflict and thus give rise to the free will problem? [closed]
What is free will? How does that relate to human?
-2
votes
1answer
56 views
Why or How? Which one do we prefer more in philosophy? [closed]
Why or How?
Which one of them do we use in Philosophy to understand and describe the world around us? More simply, which one do we prefer more and why? In physics, more likely, we use HOW to know how ...
2
votes
2answers
141 views
How is philosophy of science essential? [closed]
How is philosophy of science still one of the most essential fields after it broke from classical philosophy and established its own discipline?
1
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0answers
43 views
About the advantages of the propensity perspective on probability
I am wandering what are the advantages of the propensity perspective on probability. Why would it be better to explain probability in physics? Except for the fact that it solves various problems of ...
5
votes
3answers
134 views
underdetermination in the engineering world
Newbie here- please go easy on me.
Now that I am retired from the world of physics and engineering, I am struggling to come to terms with my career failings. The most spectacular of these occurred ...
5
votes
3answers
285 views
According to Popper, what is logical positivism's role in scientific ethics?
What are the arguments for and against this? Any resources that are easy to read would help
1
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0answers
52 views
What approach, choosing from Barnes and Bloor from SSK, or Kitcher from ESK, best described current practices in economics
Can someone help me with this question, because I can't get the answer myself, would like to start a discussion as well.
SSK is the sociology of scientific knowledge and ESK is the economics of ...
5
votes
1answer
197 views
Why was the quest for an objective universal demarcation criteria deemed untenable after Kuhn?
I know that Kuhn had developed his own demarcation criteria to determine whether something is science or not. But according to my lecturer the quest for an objective, universal demarcation criteria ...
0
votes
2answers
170 views
Defending the value of Moral Philosophy against Scientism
What are the best arguments against someone who believes 'Moral philosophy is useless, what we call morality is simply evolutionary instincts to do what we were designed to do as a species'. This ...
3
votes
5answers
131 views
Can an exception ever “prove” a rule?
It is a common thing to say that, when an "exception" is found, this proves (as in it provides evidence) there is a rule (or succinctly stated as "the exception proves the rule").
Is there a logical/...
2
votes
1answer
170 views
Finding desirabilities and probabilities in Jeffrey's Logic of Decision
I'm trying to solve problem 16 (Ch. 5) of Jeffrey's Logic of Decision.
The problem says:
Suppose that A and B are pairwise incompatible propositions, and
suppose that the preference ranking is as ...
3
votes
0answers
43 views
Name of Principle Giving Precedence to a More General Hypothesis
As far as I know, there is a principle that gives precedence to a theory that is more general than a more specific one, i.e the more general one is more acceptable.
What is the name of that principle?
0
votes
1answer
34 views
What does ‘Disinterestedness’ mean in the context of Mertonian norms?
With ref to the CUDOS Mertonian norms...I used to think disinterestedness mean’t striving to be objective but I now think the intended meaning was for it to be taken literally.
2
votes
1answer
46 views
Mach and Norton thought experiments in science
Both Mach and Norton hold empiricist views on the notions of the role of thought experiments.
Could someone please explain the difference? Have done some reading but it’s not totally clear.
2
votes
1answer
44 views
Popper and Platonism
Regarding thought experiments in science, James Robert Brown believes that thought experiments can provide knowledge of the laws of nature or the real world based on intuitive thinking (and not ...
1
vote
0answers
43 views
What difference is there between scientifically testable premises and personal biases that are tested? [closed]
What difference is there between scientifically testable premises and personal biases that are tested?
That's, when is it possible to do scientific probing that is not somehow subjectively-oriented?
...
3
votes
1answer
101 views
Does the pessimistic meta-induction say that best scientific theories may be untrue, or merely not true about reality?
Does the pessimistic meta-induction say that best scientific theories may be untrue, or merely not true about a mind independent reality? Might examples from the history of science of past refuted ...
6
votes
3answers
120 views
How can the credibility of dietary recommendations of medical sciences and EBM be upheld in light of a history of radical changes of its claims?
I know the typical argument is that science is a work in progress and is constantly self-improving.
However, self-improvement demands some continuity in claims. For example, relativistic physics was ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
What's the difference between XY=F and XY=0 in Jeffrey's Logic of Decision?
I'm stuck solving problem 14 in Chapter 5 of Jeffrey's Logic of Decision.
The first part of the problem says:
Show that in presence of prob is nonnegative (prob X≥0) and prob
is normalized (T=1)...
4
votes
2answers
94 views
Thought experiments and empiricism
The debate between Norton and Brown regarding whether thought experiments transcend empiricism is interesting with Norton suggesting that thought experiments do not transcend empiricism.
If one had ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Has there been any philosophical guidance regarding when to use logic vs empirical testing?
One obvious disadvantage of testing a given claim with scientific constraints is that one may never know the number of possible constraints to try, in which combinations, and in which order to modify ...
1
vote
2answers
63 views
What is the relation between the propensity interpretation of probability and probability in physics?
I would like to know what physicists think about the propensity viewpoint.If this latter one is in line with physics and especially Quantum Mechanics. Otherwise, what is the most coherent ...
0
votes
0answers
57 views
Is there any relation between Bhaskar's “critical realism” and recent philosophies like OOP and Accelerationism
Is there any relation between Bhaskar's "critical realism" and recent philosophies like OOP and Accelerationism. They feel broadly similar, perhaps just because both of the latter often involve post ...
2
votes
0answers
35 views
Does falsifiability require reproducibility according to Popper?
I can see how the idea of falsifiability (rather than some form of verificationism) could support a demarcation between science and pseudoscience. Here is the Wikipedia definition of falsifiability:
...
2
votes
4answers
152 views
Truth in Science vs. Truth in Math
Two scientists independently try to solve a problem to predict a certain phenomenon. The two scientists come up with different answers, but both of their solutions seem logical to each other. How do ...
2
votes
3answers
205 views
What is consciousness
Is it a question that science may answer? This article became the root of my thinking.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/mar/01/consciousness-eight-questions-science
-4
votes
2answers
110 views
Why is modern physics still connected to Western notions of time? [closed]
as Rasheedah Phillips says “Afrofuturism uses a completely different construct of time and engages a different notion of time consciousness and notion of the future than does the European brand of ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
Who/What is the source of knowledge?
This question mostly pertains to physics and math, but I think it fits best on this site. I am not very familiar with philosophy, so I apologize if my question is not very formal.
Essentially, the ...
1
vote
0answers
56 views
Does a level I multiverse implicate a very long life? [closed]
Let's suppose that there are infinite level 1 universes, agreeing with physicist like Max Tegmark and even before them with philosophers like Giordano Bruno.
Now, please follow this thought ...
1
vote
3answers
60 views
Can hypotheses have parts that are supported or falsified individually?
Can an hypothesis that is part of the scientific method have multiple parts which can be falsified or supported individually?
Let's say the experiments provide evidence that Part A models correctly ...
2
votes
6answers
200 views
Can a theory become a law?
I'm just trying to speak properly and the definitions of fact, hypothesis, theory and law are quite mixed in my head.
Some background
The following are not perfect definitions but some ideas.
...
2
votes
0answers
105 views
AGI and Quine's conundrums:underdetermination and holism
How has [or will] the prevalence of “big data” – the exploding plethora of information and computing power to classify, categorize and correlate it, combined with Artificial General Intelligence, or ...
1
vote
2answers
57 views
Explaining the Termination Risk of Simulation Technologies
There is a recent article in Erkenntnis that discusses termination risks related to the simulation hypothesis [1]. That is, if we are living in a computer simulation, are there risks that might ...
3
votes
0answers
67 views
Looking for a book to compliment Zammito and Mohanty in understanding the ethos of post positivistic realism
There are two books which I consider to be indispensable to an understanding of
contemporary western culture’s post-truth/alternative facts (scientific and cultural post modernism/structuralism/...
7
votes
5answers
237 views
Social theory of science?
A lot of philosophers of science try to explain what science is through a normative approach. That it, they try to show what are norms and standards the satisfaction of which make a theory or practice ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
What does it mean to say that the relation between evidence and hypotheses is “syntactic”?
Positivists construe the relation between evidence and hypotheses to
be syntactic (L1990, 23). Consequently, "what would count as evidence
for a hypothesis is determined by the form of the ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
The definition of “scientific community”?
What is a "scientific community"? What are its features? I am looking for rather recent and widely received definition of "scientific community".
