Single Idea 7021

[catalogued under 14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory]

Full Idea

If the world is somehow theory-dependent, this implies, on pain of a regress, that theories are not theory-dependent.

Gist of Idea

If the world is theory-dependent, the theories themselves can't be theory-dependent

Source

John Heil (From an Ontological Point of View [2003], 06.4)

Book Reference

Heil,John: 'From an Ontological Point of View' [OUP 2005], p.59


A Reaction

I am not sure where this puts the ontology of theories, but this is a nice question, of a type which never seems to occur to your more simple-minded relativist.