Ahmed, Sarwar (2025) The Epistemological Status of the Direct and Indirect Observation Distinction. [Preprint]
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Abstract
For various reasons, it has become common wisdom in science that there exists a principled epistemic distinction between direct and indirect observation. In this paper, I present a twofold argument. First, I argue against such a principled epistemic distinction. Second, I highlight a pervasive incongruence between the methodological and epistemological distinctions between direct and indirect observations. My arguments revolve around the idea that it is one thing to make a methodological distinction between observations and another to ascribe epistemic significance to them. I begin by unfolding the historical and philosophical foundations of the distinction, identifying three tenets that have served to sustain the distinction to the present day. I then provide a detailed analysis of two recent philosophical efforts to preserve the epistemic distinction in astrophysics and specific areas of astrophysics, ultimately suggesting that these approaches face significant challenges.
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