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Underdetermination is the idea that empirical data alone may be insufficient to determine which of several competing theories is the true one, as different theories can explain the same evidence equally well. This concept highlights the role of theoretical assumptions and background knowledge in theory choice, and it poses challenges to scientific realism and the objectivity of scientific inquiry.
Theory choice involves selecting between competing scientific theories based on criteria such as empirical adequacy, simplicity, scope, and coherence with existing knowledge. It is a subjective process influenced by the values and priorities of the scientific community, as well as the available evidence and theoretical virtues of the options.
Scientific realism is the philosophical view that scientific theories accurately represent reality and that unobservable entities posited by these theories, such as electrons or black holes, genuinely exist. This perspective asserts that the success of science in making predictions and developing technology is best explained by the assumption that scientific theories are true or approximately true descriptions of the world.
Instrumentalism is a philosophical approach that views theories and concepts as useful instruments for explaining and predicting phenomena, rather than as true or false descriptions of reality. It emphasizes the practical application of ideas over their ontological status, focusing on how effectively they work in practice.
Confirmation Theory is a branch of epistemology and philosophy of science that investigates the principles and processes by which evidence supports or undermines hypotheses. It explores how scientific theories are validated or refuted through empirical observation, focusing on the logical and probabilistic relationships between evidence and belief.
Theoretical virtues are criteria used to evaluate the quality and acceptability of scientific theories, guiding the preference for one theory over another based on their epistemic merits. These virtues include simplicity, coherence, explanatory power, and predictive accuracy, and they help in assessing how well a theory aligns with empirical data and existing knowledge.
Falsifiability is a principle in the philosophy of science that asserts a hypothesis or theory must be inherently disprovable before it can be considered scientifically valid. It serves as a demarcation criterion to distinguish scientific theories from non-scientific ones by ensuring that predictions made by a theory can be tested and potentially proven false.
Observational equivalence occurs when two different models or theories produce the same observable predictions, making it impossible to distinguish between them based solely on empirical data. This concept is crucial in fields like economics and philosophy of science, as it challenges the ability to empirically validate competing theories and highlights the importance of underlying assumptions and interpretations.
Confirmation holism is the philosophical view that scientific theories are not tested in isolation but as part of a web of interconnected beliefs and hypotheses. This implies that when a prediction fails, it is not clear which part of the web is at fault, challenging the notion of falsifiability in science.
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