Kuehne, Ulrich J. (1995) Thought Experiments and the Inference to a Coherent Explanation. [Preprint]

Preview

PDF UKuehne_1995_Thoughtexperiment.pdf Download (155kB)

Abstract

This talk proposes a solution to the "paradox of thought experiments": how seemingly new empirical insights are derived by “thought experiments” which are entirely conducted inside one’s head, so to speak, without any new empirical import. Rather than the discovery of new facts the purpose of a successful thought experiment is to transform vague intuitions about nature into explanatory standards, which may be uses later on as normative principles or formal constraints in the formation of new theories. The author later wrote a Dr.-phil.-thesis on this subject: "Die Methode des Gedankenexperiments. Untersuchung zur Rationalität naturwissenschaftlicher Theoriereformen." (Bremen University, submitted October 5th 2001, summa cum laude) an abridged version of which has been published in the book: Ulrich Kühne, Die Methode des Gedankenexperiments. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag 2005. 410 pages, ISBN: 978-3-518-29342-3.

---

Export/Citation:

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

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Kuehne, Ulrich J. ulrich.kuehne.1987@balliol.org 0000-0002-9742-3290
Keywords:	thought experiment, scientific explanation
Subjects:	General Issues > Thought Experiments General Issues > Theory Change
Depositing User:	Dr. Ulrich J. Kuehne
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2019 21:45
Last Modified:	29 Sep 2019 21:45
Item ID:	16468
Subjects:	General Issues > Thought Experiments General Issues > Theory Change
Date:	January 1995
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/16468

Available Versions of this Item

• Thought Experiments and the Inference to a Coherent Explanation. (deposited 12 Sep 2007)
  • Thought Experiments and the Inference to a Coherent Explanation. (deposited 29 Sep 2019 21:53)
    • Thought Experiments and the Inference to a Coherent Explanation. (deposited 29 Sep 2019 21:45) [Currently Displayed]

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item