Evans, Peter W. and Thebault, Karim P Y (2019) On the Limits of Experimental Knowledge. [Preprint]

Preview

Text On the Limits of Experimental Knowledge.pdf Download (453kB) | Preview

Abstract

To demarcate the limits of experimental knowledge we probe the limits of what might be called an experiment. By appeal to examples of scientific practice from astrophysics and analogue gravity, we demonstrate that the reliability of knowledge regarding certain phenomena gained from an experiment is not circumscribed by the manipulability or accessibility of the target phenomena. Rather, the limits of experimental knowledge are set by the extent to which strategies for what we call 'inductive triangulation' are available: that is, the validation of the mode of inductive reasoning involved in the source-target inference via appeal to one or more distinct and independent modes of inductive reasoning. When such strategies are able to partially mitigate reasonable doubt, we can take a theory regarding the phenomena to be well supported by experiment. When such strategies are able to fully mitigate reasonable doubt, we can take a theory regarding the phenomena to be established by experiment. There are good reasons to expect the next generation of analogue experiments to provide genuine knowledge of unmanipulable and inaccessible phenomena such that the relevant theories can be understood as well supported.

---

Export/Citation:

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

Social Networking:

Share |

---

Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Evans, Peter W. p.evans@uq.edu.au 0000-0003-0214-4748 Thebault, Karim P Y karim.thebault@gmail.com
Keywords:	analogue experiments, experimental knowledge, confirmation
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Confirmation/Induction General Issues > Experimentation
Depositing User:	Dr Karim Thebault
Date Deposited:	31 Oct 2019 05:47
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2019 05:47
Item ID:	16594
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Astrophysics Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Confirmation/Induction General Issues > Experimentation
Date:	28 October 2019
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/16594

Available Versions of this Item

• On the Limits of Experimental Knowledge. (deposited 31 Oct 2019 05:47) [Currently Displayed]
  • On the Limits of Experimental Knowledge. (deposited 05 Jun 2020 00:40)

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item