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Single Idea 16179

[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / b. Best system theory ]

Full Idea

There is no reason to think that the principles that best organise will be true, nor that the principles that are true will organise much.

Gist of Idea

Good organisation may not be true, and the truth may not organise very much

Source

Nancy Cartwright (How the Laws of Physics Lie [1983], 2.5)

Book Ref

Cartwright,Nancy: 'How the Laws of Physics Lie' [OUP 2002], p.53

A Reaction

This is aimed at the Mill-Ramsey-Lewis account of laws, as axiomatisations of the observed patterns in nature.

The 17 ideas with the same theme [laws are the simplest axioms that describe patterns]:

9417 What are the fewest propositions from which all natural uniformities could be inferred? [Mill]
9418 All knowledge needs systematizing, and the axioms would be the laws of nature [Ramsey]
9420 Causal laws result from the simplest axioms of a complete deductive system [Ramsey]
9419 A law of nature is a general axiom of the deductive system that is best for simplicity and strength [Lewis]
9409 Laws are the best axiomatization of the total history of world events or facts [Lewis, by Mumford]
9423 If simplicity and strength are criteria for laws of nature, that introduces a subjective element [Mumford on Lewis]
9424 A number of systematizations might tie as the best and most coherent system [Mumford on Lewis]
9425 Lewis later proposed the axioms at the intersection of the best theories (which may be few) [Mumford on Lewis]
8611 A law of nature is any regularity that earns inclusion in the ideal system [Lewis]
16179 Good organisation may not be true, and the truth may not organise very much [Cartwright,N]
9422 If the best system describes a nomological system, the laws are in nature, not in the description [Mumford]
9421 The best systems theory says regularities derive from laws, rather than constituting them [Mumford]
4796 Laws are sets of regularities within a simple and strong coherent system of wider regularities [Psillos]
18854 The MRL view says laws are the theorems of the simplest and strongest account of the world [Rosen]
16270 If laws are just regularities, then there have to be laws [Maudlin]
6745 A regularity is only a law if it is part of a complete system which is simple and strong [Bird]
6802 With strange enough predicates, anything could be made out to be a regularity [Bird]