Realism

Question 1

Realism

Answer 1

X is real / exists outside of our existence

Question 2

Foundationalism

Answer 2

scientific knowledge is based on experience/ observations

Question 3

Scientific Realism

Answer 3

Scientific Realism can be succinctly characterized by the following two philosophical principles

Question 4

skopological principle of scientific realism

Answer 4

epistemic aim is to find out everything about every thing there is in Reality (R). Epistemic aim of science is the discovery of theories and models that tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth about what they are supposed to be in R.

Question 5

semantic-epistemic principle of scientific realism

Answer 5

propositions, stored in models and theories, that qualify as scientific knowledge are wholly or only partly or approximately, made true by R

Question 6

neo-Kantian Idealism

Answer 6

scientific anti-realist (rejects both principles of Scientific realism). Scientific knowledge is about W@, not about R,

Question 7

Nominalists

Answer 7

Similar to Kant, reject that we are born with innate concepts and ideas. Knowledge from language.

Question 8

Correspondence theory

Answer 8

R is the true-maker (often part of ScR) and the false-maker

Question 9

Semantic-epistemic principle - approximate truth

Answer 9

Idea of a proposition being false yet partially true is quite plausible. Idea by popper: in order to make sense of the growth of knowledge when rejecting false theories

Question 10

Feyerabend argument for methodology

Answer 10

progress -> criticism -> proliferation -> realism
Realism is the fuel of epistemic progress in science. A proliferation of ideas would not transpire if the truth about R were not at stake. Proliferation requires realism

Question 11

No-miracle argument

Answer 11

positive argument for realism is that it is the only philosophy that doesn’t make the success of science a miracle. theories and models with non-referring terms etc. are empirically and technologically successful. If there are no rival explanations, then NoMir an inference to the only explanation.

Question 12

Duhem-Quine UnderDetermination Thesis

Answer 12

Undetermination thesis has to do with how we can never test isolated hypothesis. Can only test group of hypotheses. Many different webs of belief are compatible with the same sensory experiences –> sensory experience undertermines W(S,t’)

Question 13

Pessimistic Meta-induction over the history of science

Answer 13

since science marches on, our present-day theories will also go down. Argument confronts ScR with history of science. (criticism: cherry picking in history of science, a lot stays)

Question 14

Constructive empiricism

Answer 14

difference between observable & non-observable. Non-observable are human creations

Question 15

skopological principle constructive empiricism

Answer 15

epistemic aim of science is to find out everything observable there is in R. Epistemic aim is the construction of empirically adequate theories and models: they tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth about what they are supposed to be about in the observable part of R.

Question 16

semantic-epistemic principle of constructive empiricism

Answer 16

propositions, stored in models and theories that qualify as scientific knowledge are only about observables in R. Propositions in our empirically adequate models and theories that are about unobservables are accepted but are neither believed nor disbelieved, which implies that these propositions do not belong to our scientific knowledge of R.

Question 17

observable entity

Answer 17

Some entity is observable to us iff we would see it if we were in front of it in broad daylight with our eyes wide open.
(things with telescope are still observable since if you were closer, you’d be able to see them)

Question 18

microscopic visions

Answer 18

not observable, constructed (human creations), inference to the best explanation

Question 19

metaphysical vision of constructive empiricism

Answer 19

CEmp tolerates metaphysical beliefs of scientists whenever they help them in their quest for empirically adequate theories. However, such beliefs do not constitute knowledge on a par with knowledge about observables.

Question 20

Underdetermination CEmp

Answer 20

what is mostly undetermined by observations, measurements and data is what lies beyond the empirical, in the unobservable realm of R. Since there is no scientific knowledge about that realm possible, what does qualify as scientific knowledge is not underdetermined.

Question 21

Pessimistic meta-induction & CEmp

Answer 21

All discarded entities in the history of science are unobservable, so PessMI does not hurt CEmp

Question 22

evolutionary aspect of CEmp

Answer 22

The claim is that the success of current scientific theories is no miracle. only successful theories survive, the ones which are in fact latched on to actual (observable) regularities in nature. Why we have observationally adequate theories is because we have selected and will select for that.

Question 23

Structural realism skopological principle

Answer 23

epistemic aim of science is to find out everything about the structure of Reality. The discovery of structurally adequate theories and models.

Question 24

Semantic-epistemic principle of structural realism

Answer 24

propositions, stored in models and theories, that qualify as scientific knowledge are wholly, or only partly or approximately, made true by the structure of R

Question 25

Metaphysical principle of structural realism

Answer 25

reality as-it-is-in-and-of-itself consists ultimately of structures, they exist and are real independently of our very existence and everything we bring forth, e.g. thought, language and knowledge, and they give rise to everything else that exists and is real.