No Refuge for Realism: Selective Confirmation and the History of Science
No Refuge for Realism: Selective Confirmation and the History of Science
复制标题
现实主义无处可逃：选择性证实与科学史
DOI：
10.1086/377377
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发表时间：
2003
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
P. Stanford
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
P. Stanford
现实主义者用我所说的选择性确认策略来回应来自成功但最终被拒绝的理论的历史记录的挑战：认为只有过去理论的闲置部分被拒绝，而真正产生成功的特征已通过进一步的调查得到证实。我认为，首先，如果没有一些前瞻性适用的理论假设闲置标准，这一策略是缺乏说服力的；其次，现有的努力要么证明所有理论假设都是闲置的（Kitcher），要么通过对它们所诉诸的例子（光/电磁醚、热流体）的详细考虑而被驳倒（Psillos）。我还认为，改进这些提案的现有途径前景并不乐观。
Realists have responded to challenges from the historical record of successful but ultimately rejected theories with what I call the selective confirmation strategy: arguing that only idle parts of past theories have been rejected, while truly success‐generating features have been confirmed by further inquiry. I argue first, that this strategy is unconvincing without some prospectively applicable criterion of idleness for theoretical posits, and second, that existing efforts to provide one either convict all theoretical posits of idleness (Kitcher) or stand refuted by detailed consideration of the very examples (optical/electromagnetic ether, caloric fluid) to which they appeal (Psillos). I also argue that available avenues for improving on these proposals are unpromising.