Van Fraasen's 'Constructive Empiricism' (3 of 3)

One noteable anti-realist argument comes from the 'constructive empiricism' of Bas van Fraassen. I outline the basic idea's behind van Fraassen's theory, and some of the issues with it.

[jimstewart]

This is so very, very helpful! Thanks for taking the time to make such an excellent video!

[benthephilosopher]

Van Fraassen is such an excellent philosopher.

[zarkoff]

"My own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we _can_ suppose." -- J. B. S. Haldane

[Evilanious]

Props for pronouncing it 'Van Fraassen' and not 'Ven Fraassen' like English speakers tend to do.

[miguelespejel]

The empirical adequacy of a theory is a means to a further end -testing hypotheses and evaluating their degree of approximate truth-, it is not the end in itself (that is in any case, in technology, but: sciences ≠ technologies). Furthermore, it is not the only means of evaluating theories. Indeed, there are conceptual evaluative procedures such as studying the internal or external consistency of an idea, etc.Radical empiricism is far outdated. Holding it is close to pseudo-philosophy and religion.

[miguelespejel]

If we have two empirically adequate theories, their conjunction can be understood as something unacceptable because it is contradictory. Putting together the physics of Newton and Einstein we get contradictions