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Single Idea 3123

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 1. Aims of Science ]

Full Idea

Science is in the business of carving nature at the joints.

Gist of Idea

Science is in the business of carving nature at the joints

Source

Gabriel M.A. Segal (A Slim Book about Narrow Content [2000], 5)

Book Ref

Segal,Gabriel M.A.: 'A Slim Book about Narrow Content' [MIT 2000], p.127

Related Ideas

Idea 7953 Reasoning needs to cut nature accurately at the joints [Plato]

Idea 13775 We only succeed in cutting if we use appropriate tools, not if we approach it randomly [Plato]

The 18 ideas from Gabriel M.A. Segal

3103 Maybe content involves relations to a language community [Segal]
3104 Must we relate to some diamonds to understand them? [Segal]
3105 Is 'Hesperus = Phosphorus' metaphysically necessary, but not logically or epistemologically necessary? [Segal]
3106 If claims of metaphysical necessity are based on conceivability, we should be cautious [Segal]
3108 If 'water' has narrow content, it refers to both H2O and XYZ [Segal]
3109 If content is external, so are beliefs and desires [Segal]
3110 Humans are made of H2O, so 'twins' aren't actually feasible [Segal]
3113 The success and virtue of an explanation do not guarantee its truth [Segal]
3112 Folk psychology is ridiculously dualist in its assumptions [Segal]
3111 Externalism can't explain concepts that have no reference [Segal]
3116 Maybe experts fix content, not ordinary users [Segal]
3117 Concepts can survive a big change in extension [Segal]
3118 If thoughts ARE causal, we can't explain how they cause things [Segal]
3119 Even 'mass' cannot be defined in causal terms [Segal]
3121 If content is narrow, my perfect twin shares my concepts [Segal]
3123 Science is in the business of carving nature at the joints [Segal]
3124 Externalists can't assume old words refer to modern natural kinds [Segal]
3125 Psychology studies the way rationality links desires and beliefs to causality [Segal]