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Single Idea 14204
[filed under theme 14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism
]
Full Idea
On a naïve operationalist account every time a new way of testing whether a substance is really gold is discovered, the meaning and reference of 'gold' undergoes a change.
Gist of Idea
Naïve operationalism would have meanings change every time the tests change
Source
Hilary Putnam (Reason, Truth and History [1981], Ch.2)
Book Ref
Putnam,Hilary: 'Reason, Truth and History' [CUP 1998], p.29
The
14 ideas
with the same theme
[scientific truth is just what works in our theories]:
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18982
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Pragmatism says all theories are instrumental - that is, mental modes of adaptation to reality
[James]
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18985
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True thoughts are just valuable instruments of action
[James]
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7621
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Special relativity, unlike general relativity, was operationalist in spirit
[Putnam on Einstein]
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13940
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All linguistic forms in science are merely judged by their efficiency as instruments
[Carnap]
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17665
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The 'Tractatus' is instrumentalist about laws of nature
[Wittgenstein, by Armstrong]
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17658
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Users of digital thermometers recognise no temperatures in the gaps
[Goodman]
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4713
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For Quine, theories are instruments used to make predictions about observations
[Quine, by O'Grady]
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13067
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For the instrumentalists there are no scientific explanations
[Salmon]
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14204
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Naïve operationalism would have meanings change every time the tests change
[Putnam]
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16057
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Instrumentalism normally says some discourse is useful, but not genuinely true
[Horgan,T]
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17704
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Operationalism defines concepts by our ways of measuring them
[Mares]
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6778
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Instrumentalists regard theories as tools for prediction, with truth being irrelevant
[Bird]
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22197
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Theories aren't just for organising present experience if they concern the past or future
[Gorham]
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22196
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For most scientists their concepts are not just useful, but are meant to be true and accurate
[Gorham]
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