Adaptive Empiricism

G. Bacciagaluppi

doi:10.4081/incontri.2019.465

Adaptive Empiricism

G. Bacciagaluppi^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic

Abstract

This paper presents a sketch of a moderately anti-realist position in philosophy of science that is a modification of Van Fraassen’s constructive empiricism and that I call ‘adaptive empiricism’. This modification is motivated by the intuition that assessing what is or is not observable should be an important element of theory choice for an empiricist. (I use cases of underdetermination as examples.) Thus I argue that Van Fraassen’s distinction between what is observable and what is unobservable should be adapted to changing theoretical and experimental contexts. I close with some ideas as to how to develop this position more fully.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Lost in physics and metaphysics
Subtitle of host publication	Questioni di realismo scientifico
Editors	Giacomo Mauro D'Ariano, Salvatore Veca, Cristian Mariani
Publisher	Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere
Pages	99-113
Number of pages	15
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4081/incontri.2019.465
Publication status	Published - 4 Mar 2019

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title = "Adaptive Empiricism",

abstract = "This paper presents a sketch of a moderately anti-realist position in philosophy of science that is a modification of Van Fraassen{\textquoteright}s constructive empiricism and that I call {\textquoteleft}adaptive empiricism{\textquoteright}. This modification is motivated by the intuition that assessing what is or is not observable should be an important element of theory choice for an empiricist. (I use cases of underdetermination as examples.) Thus I argue that Van Fraassen{\textquoteright}s distinction between what is observable and what is unobservable should be adapted to changing theoretical and experimental contexts. I close with some ideas as to how to develop this position more fully. ",

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AB - This paper presents a sketch of a moderately anti-realist position in philosophy of science that is a modification of Van Fraassen’s constructive empiricism and that I call ‘adaptive empiricism’. This modification is motivated by the intuition that assessing what is or is not observable should be an important element of theory choice for an empiricist. (I use cases of underdetermination as examples.) Thus I argue that Van Fraassen’s distinction between what is observable and what is unobservable should be adapted to changing theoretical and experimental contexts. I close with some ideas as to how to develop this position more fully.

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DO - 10.4081/incontri.2019.465

M3 - Conference contribution

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EP - 113

BT - Lost in physics and metaphysics

A2 - D'Ariano, Giacomo Mauro

A2 - Veca, Salvatore

A2 - Mariani, Cristian

PB - Istituto Lombardo Accademia di Scienze e Lettere

ER -

Adaptive Empiricism

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