Making Contact with Observations
Votsis, Ioannis (2007) Making Contact with Observations. In [2007] EPSA07: 1st Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (Madrid, 15-17 November, 2007).
This is the latest version of this eprint.
Full text available as: |
Abstract
In this paper I argue contrary to Bogen and Woodward that data serve as evidence for theories, not only for phenomena. Bogen and Woodward seem to forget the old Duhemian dictum that ‘theories cannot be tested in isolation’. That is, they seem to forget that theories require the help of auxiliary hypotheses to make contact with data. When augmented with suitable auxiliaries, theories do entail, predict and potentially explain the data. I say ‘potentially explain the data’ because my focus in this paper is only on the inferential and predictive relations between theories, phenomena and data. To demonstrate my claim I examine four cases from physics, chemistry and astronomy: (i) a controversy between Lavoisier and Priestley, (ii) the calculation of lead’s melting point, (iii) the prediction of the Poisson spot and (iv) the discovery of Neptune.
| Keywords: | observation, data, phenomena, evidence, theory, theory-ladenness, novel prediction, Lavoisier, Priestley, melting point of led, Poisson spot, Neptune. |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | General Issues: Confirmation/Induction General Issues: Structure of Theories General Issues: Theory Change General Issues: Theory/Observation General Issues: History of Science Case Studies General Issues: Realism/Anti-realism |
| Conferences and Volumes: | [2007] EPSA07: 1st Conference of the European Philosophy of Science Association (Madrid, 15-17 November, 2007) |
| ID Code: | 4672 |
| Deposited By: | Votsis, Ioannis |
| Deposited On: | 01 June 2009 |
Available Versions of this Item
- Making Contact with Observations (deposited 19 December 2007)
- Making Contact with Observations (deposited 01 June 2009) [Currently Displayed]