Accepting our best scientific theories
Accepting our best scientific theories
Author(s): Seungbae ParkSubject(s): Philosophy, Psychology, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Published by: Lietuvos mokslų akademijos leidykla
Keywords: acceptance; belief; explanation; inference to the best explanation; prediction;
Summary/Abstract: Dawes (2013) claims that we ought not to believe but to accept our best scientific theories. To accept them means to employ them as premises in our reasoning with the goal of attaining knowledge about unobservables. I reply that if we do not believe our best scientific theories, we cannot gain knowledge about unobservables, our opponents might dismiss the predictions derived from them, and we cannot use them to explain phenomena. We commit an unethical speech act when we explain a phenomenon in terms of a theory we do not believe.
Journal: Filosofija. Sociologija
- Issue Year: 2015
- Issue No: 3
- Page Range: 220-229
- Page Count: 10
- Language: English