Single Idea 6783

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / c. Aim of beliefs]

Full Idea

To 'accept' a theory is not to believe it, but is instead to believe it to be empirically adequate.

Gist of Idea

To 'accept' a theory is not to believe it, but to believe it empirically adequate

Source

report of Bas C. van Fraassen (The Scientific Image [1980]) by Alexander Bird - Philosophy of Science Ch.4

Book Reference

Bird,Alexander: 'Philosophy of Science' [UCL Press 2000], p.143


A Reaction

The second half of this doesn't avoid the word 'belief'. Nevertheless the suggestion is that we never believe (i.e. commit to truth) ever again. So you avoid an on-coming bus because the threat appears to be 'empirically adequate'. Hm.