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Single Idea 6786

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 5. Coherentism / b. Pro-coherentism ]

Full Idea

A remarkable fact about modern science is that as the number of phenomena which science has investigated has grown, the number of theories needed to explain them has decreased.

Gist of Idea

As science investigates more phenomena, the theories it needs decreases

Source

Alexander Bird (Philosophy of Science [1998], Ch.4)

Book Ref

Bird,Alexander: 'Philosophy of Science' [UCL Press 2000], p.150

A Reaction

This rebuts the idea that theories are probably false because we are unlikely to have thought of the right one (Idea 6784). More data suggests more theories, yet we end up with fewer theories. Why is simplification of theories possible?

Related Idea

Idea 6784 Why should the true explanation be one of the few we have actually thought of? [Fraassen, by Bird]

The 18 ideas with the same theme [reasons in favour of the coherentist view]:

2088 A rational account of a wagon would mean knowledge of its hundred parts [Plato]
20308 Encounters with things confuse the mind, and internal comparisons bring clarity [Spinoza]
19410 Scientific truths are supported by mutual agreement, as well as agreement with the phenomena [Leibniz]
23642 If non-rational evidence reaches us, it is reason which then makes use of it [Reid]
22640 We find satisfaction in consistency of all of our beliefs, perceptions and mental connections [James]
21579 Objects are treated as real when they connect with other experiences in a normal way [Russell]
21498 Congruents assertions increase the probability of each individual assertion in the set [Lewis,CI]
21513 We can no more expect a precise definition of coherence than we can of the moral ideal [Ewing]
17660 Discovery is often just finding a fit, like a jigsaw puzzle [Goodman]
3096 Coherence avoids scepticism, because it doesn't rely on unprovable foundations [Harman]
2767 If it is empirical propositions which have to be coherent, this eliminates coherent fiction [Dancy,J]
21511 A well written novel cannot possibly match a real belief system for coherence [Bonjour]
21510 The objection that a negated system is equally coherent assume that coherence is consistency [Bonjour]
21505 A coherent system can be justified with initial beliefs lacking all credibility [Bonjour]
21504 The best explanation of coherent observations is they are caused by and correspond to reality [Bonjour]
9126 Bayesians build near-certainty from lots of reasonably probable beliefs [Sorensen]
6786 As science investigates more phenomena, the theories it needs decreases [Bird]
8846 Reasons for beliefs can be cited to others, unlike a raw headache experience [Pryor]