PhilSci Archive

A Case for Old-Fashioned Observability, and a Reconstructed Constructive Empiricism

Chang, Hasok (2004) A Case for Old-Fashioned Observability, and a Reconstructed Constructive Empiricism. In: UNSPECIFIED. (In Press)

[img] Microsoft Word (.doc)
PSA2004.rtf

Download (68kB)

Abstract

I develop a concept of observability that pertains to qualities rather than objects: a quality is observable if it can be registered by human sensation (possibly with the aid of instruments) without involving optional interpretations. This concept supports a better description of observations in science and everyday life than the object-based observability concepts presupposing causal information-transfer from the object to the observer. It also allows a rehabilitation of the traditional empiricist distinction between observations and their interpretations, but without a presumption that observations are infallible. Using this concept of observability, I also propose a re-formulation of constructive empiricism that is easier to defend against realist attacks, while open to reasonable realist intuitions.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Chang, Hasok
Keywords: observability, observation, constructive empiricism, van Fraassen
Subjects: General Issues > Theory/Observation
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Depositing User: Hasok Chang
Date Deposited: 22 Dec 2004
Last Modified: 07 Oct 2010 15:13
Item ID: 2122
Public Domain: No
Conference Date: November 2004
Conference Location: Austin, Texas
Subjects: General Issues > Theory/Observation
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Date: 2004
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2122

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item