Becker Arenhart, Jonas Rafael and Medeiros Costa, Vítor (2021) Quasi-truth and incomplete information in historical sciences. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 36 (1). pp. 113-137. ISSN 2171-679X
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Abstract
Quasi-truth is a formal approach to a pragmatically-oriented view of truth. The basic plan motivating the framework consists in providing for a more realistic account of truth, accommodating situations where there is incomplete information, as typically happens in the practice of science. The historical sciences are a case in hand, where incomplete information is the rule. It would seem, then, that the quasi-truth approach would be the most appropriate one to deal with historical sciences, then. In this paper, we explore this possibility and use the historical sciences as a test case for the approach of quasi-truth. Our claim is that, on what concerns historical sciences, the quasi-truth approach fails in two basic senses; first, by misrepresenting some cases concerning incomplete information, and second, by falling short of accounting for many features of incomplete information peculiar to historical sciences. We conclude that, despite its stated goals, quasi-truth must be either amended or substituted if the goal of a more faithful representation of scientific practice is to be achieved.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | |||||||||
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| Additional Information: | ISSN: 0495-4548 (print) | |||||||||
| Keywords: | quasi-truth; truth; historical sciences; incompleteness; formal approaches to science. | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Historical Sciences |
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| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email theoria@ehu.es | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 19 Feb 2021 16:15 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 19 Feb 2021 16:15 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 18725 | |||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science | |||||||||
| Publisher: | Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco | |||||||||
| Official URL: | https://ojs.ehu.eus/index.php/THEORIA/article/view... | |||||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1387/theoria.21254 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Historical Sciences |
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| Date: | January 2021 | |||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 113-137 | |||||||||
| Volume: | 36 | |||||||||
| Number: | 1 | |||||||||
| ISSN: | 2171-679X | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18725 |
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