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Questions and Answers
What is the view of scientific realism towards the concepts described by Science?
What is the view of scientific realism towards the concepts described by Science?
Which epistemic view postulates that everything is true?
Which epistemic view postulates that everything is true?
According to constructive empiricism, how should science provide a true story of the Universe?
According to constructive empiricism, how should science provide a true story of the Universe?
What does instrumentalism view scientific theories as?
What does instrumentalism view scientific theories as?
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Which epistemic view argues that unobservable concepts must present undeniable physical evidence to be considered real?
Which epistemic view argues that unobservable concepts must present undeniable physical evidence to be considered real?
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What can reductionism be construed as?
What can reductionism be construed as?
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Why has theoretical pluralism been criticized?
Why has theoretical pluralism been criticized?
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How can reductionism be viewed in terms of scientific theories?
How can reductionism be viewed in terms of scientific theories?
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Why is theoretical pluralism referred to as the 'disunity of science'?
Why is theoretical pluralism referred to as the 'disunity of science'?
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What has been a consequence of theoretical pluralism?
What has been a consequence of theoretical pluralism?
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Study Notes
Epistemic Views on Science
- Scientific realism views scientific concepts as true descriptions of an objective reality.
Constructive Empiricism
- Constructive empiricism postulates that science should provide a true story of the Universe, but only in terms of observable phenomena.
Instrumentalism
- Instrumentalism views scientific theories as mere instruments for making predictions, rather than descriptions of an objective reality.
Reductionism
- Reductionism can be construed as the idea that complex phenomena can be fully explained by the characteristics of their constituent parts.
- Reductionism can be viewed in terms of scientific theories as the attempt to reduce complex theories to simpler, more fundamental ones.
Theoretical Pluralism
- Theoretical pluralism argues that multiple, incompatible scientific theories can coexist, and that there may not be a single, unified explanation for a phenomenon.
- Theoretical pluralism has been criticized for leading to a fragmented understanding of science, referred to as the 'disunity of science'.
- A consequence of theoretical pluralism has been the proliferation of multiple, seemingly incompatible, scientific theories.
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Description
Explore the differences between scientific realism, naive realism, and structural realism in the context of epistemology of science. Learn about the varying views on the nature of scientific theories and the ontology of the Universe.
