David, Colaço (2018) Rethinking the Role of Theory in Exploratory Experimentation. [Preprint]
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Abstract
To explain their role in discovery and contrast them with theory-driven research, philosophers of science have characterized exploratory experiments in terms of what they lack: namely, that they lack direction from what have been called “local theories” of the target system or object under investigation. I argue that this is incorrect: it’s not whether or not there is direction from a local theory that matters, but instead how such a theory is used to direct an experiment that matters. Appealing to contemporary exploratory experiments that involve the use of experimental techniques – specifically, examples where scientists explore the interaction of neural activity and human behavior by magnetically stimulating brains – I argue that local theories of a target system can inform auxiliary hypotheses in exploratory experiments, which direct these experiments. These examples illustrate how local theories can direct the exploration of target systems where researchers do not aim to evaluate these theories.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Exploratory Experimentation; Experimental Techniques; Theory; Auxiliary Hypotheses | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Experimentation Specific Sciences > Neuroscience General Issues > Technology |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. David Colaço | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 22 Oct 2018 18:06 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 22 Oct 2018 18:06 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 15178 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Experimentation Specific Sciences > Neuroscience General Issues > Technology |
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| Date: | 18 October 2018 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15178 |
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