Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Ariston, Menedemus and Alexander Bird

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26 ideas

14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 1. Observation

6792	If theories need observation, and observations need theories, how do we start? [Bird]

14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 4. Prediction

6757	Explanation predicts after the event; prediction explains before the event [Bird]

14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory

6805	Relativity ousted Newtonian mechanics despite a loss of simplicity [Bird]

6777	Realists say their theories involve truth and the existence of their phenomena [Bird]

6804	There is no agreement on scientific method - because there is no such thing [Bird]

14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism

6778	Instrumentalists regard theories as tools for prediction, with truth being irrelevant [Bird]

14. Science / C. Induction / 2. Aims of Induction

6775	Induction is inference to the best explanation, where the explanation is a law [Bird]

14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction

6791	If Hume is right about induction, there is no scientific knowledge [Bird]

6790	Anything justifying inferences from observed to unobserved must itself do that [Bird]

14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem

6738	Any conclusion can be drawn from an induction, if we use grue-like predicates [Bird]

6739	Several months of observing beech trees supports the deciduous and evergreen hypotheses [Bird]

6799	We normally learn natural kinds from laws, but Goodman shows laws require prior natural kinds [Bird]

14. Science / C. Induction / 6. Bayes's Theorem

6798	Bayesianism claims to find rationality and truth in induction, and show how science works [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / a. Explanation

6752	The objective component of explanations is the things that must exist for the explanation [Bird]

6754	We talk both of 'people' explaining things, and of 'facts' explaining things [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / b. Aims of explanation

9487	We can't reject all explanations because of a regress; inexplicable A can still explain B [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation

6750	Explanations are causal, nomic, psychological, psychoanalytic, Darwinian or functional [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / b. Contrastive explanations

6761	Contrastive explanations say why one thing happened but not another [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / e. Lawlike explanations

6758	'Covering law' explanations only work if no other explanations are to be found [Bird]

6759	Livers always accompany hearts, but they don't explain hearts [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / l. Probabilistic explanations

6756	Probabilistic-statistical explanations don't entail the explanandum, but makes it more likely [Bird]

6760	An operation might reduce the probability of death, yet explain a death [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / a. Best explanation

6785	Inference to the Best Explanation is done with facts, so it has to be realist [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / c. Against best explanation

6788	Maybe bad explanations are the true ones, in this messy world [Bird]

6787	Which explanation is 'best' is bound to be subjective, and no guide to truth [Bird]

14. Science / D. Explanation / 4. Explanation Doubts / a. Explanation as pragmatic

6751	Maybe explanation is so subjective that it cannot be a part of science [Bird]