Lutz, Sebastian (2011) On a Contrastive Criterion of Testability I: Defining Contrastive Testability. [Preprint]
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Abstract
Elliott Sober has suggested his contrastive criterion of testability as an improvement over previous criteria of empirical significance like falsifiability or a suggestion within Bayesianism. I argue that Sober’s criterion entails that if one group of people is justified in believing a claim, every group is, and that it tacitly relies on an inconsistent interpretation of probabilistic inequalities. Furthermore, the criterion’s restrictions on the use of auxiliary assumptions are in part redundant and in part unjustified. Most importantly, they are so weak that almost all theories can be contrastively tested. On the basis of these results, I suggest a modification of Sober’s criterion that avoids these problems without abandoning Sober’s core idea.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | Revised first half of "On Sober's Criterion of Contrastive Testability" | ||||||
| Keywords: | testability, empirical significance, falsifiability, likelihoodism, Bayesianism, auxiliary assumptions | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Science vs. Pseudoscience General Issues > Structure of Theories General Issues > Theory/Observation |
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| Depositing User: | Sebastian Lutz | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 18 Apr 2011 11:37 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 18 Apr 2011 11:37 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 8574 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Science vs. Pseudoscience General Issues > Structure of Theories General Issues > Theory/Observation |
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| Date: | 10 April 2011 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8574 |
Available Versions of this Item
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On Sober's Criterion of Contrastive Testability. (deposited 14 Dec 2010 12:08)
- On a Contrastive Criterion of Testability II: The Material Inadequacy of Contrastive Testability. (deposited 18 Apr 2011 11:37)
- On a Contrastive Criterion of Testability I: Defining Contrastive Testability. (deposited 18 Apr 2011 11:37) [Currently Displayed]
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