more from Charles Sanders Peirce

Single Idea 14803

[catalogued under 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 11. Against Laws of Nature]

Full Idea

Try to verify any law of nature, and you will find that the more precise your observations, the more certain they will be to show irregular departures from the law.

Gist of Idea

The more precise the observations, the less reliable appear to be the laws of nature

Source

Charles Sanders Peirce (The Doctrine of Necessity Examined [1892], p.331)

Book Reference

Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Philosophical Writings of Peirce', ed/tr. Buchler,Justus [Dover 1940], p.331


A Reaction

This nicely encapsulates modern doubts about whether the so-called 'laws' of nature actually capture what is going on in the real world.