Frost-Arnold, Greg (2014) Should a Historically Motivated Anti-Realist be a Stanfordite? In: UNSPECIFIED.

Microsoft Word PSA_2014_GF-A.doc Download (103kB)

Abstract

Suppose one believes that the historical record of discarded scientific theories provides good evidence against scientific realism. Should one adopt Kyle Stanford’s specific critique of realism? I present reasons for answering this question in the negative. In particular, Stanford’s challenge, based on the problem of unconceived alternatives, cannot use many of the prima facie strongest pieces of historical evidence against realism: (i) superseded theories whose successors were explicitly conceived, and (ii) superseded theories that were not the result of elimination-of-alternatives inferences.

---

Export/Citation:

EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Frost-Arnold, Greg gfrost-arnold@hws.edu
Keywords:	realism, anti-realism, pessimistic induction, problem of unconceived alternatives
Subjects:	General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Depositing User:	Greg Frost-Arnold
Date Deposited:	05 Nov 2014 21:14
Last Modified:	25 Dec 2015 14:21
Item ID:	11129
Subjects:	General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
Date:	6 November 2014
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11129

Available Versions of this Item

• Should a Historically Motivated Anti-Realist be a Stanfordite? (deposited 05 Nov 2014 21:14) [Currently Displayed]
  • Should a Historically Motivated Anti-Realist be a Stanfordite? (deposited 25 Dec 2015 14:21)

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item