more from Henri Poincaré

Single Idea 15877

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

Full Idea

In Poincaré's view, we try to construct a language within which the brute facts of experience are expressed as comprehensively and as elegantly as possible. The job of science is the forging of a language precisely suited to that purpose.

Gist of Idea

The aim of science is just to create a comprehensive, elegant language to describe brute facts

Source

report of Henri Poincaré (The Value of Science [1906], Pt III) by Rom Harré - Laws of Nature 2

Book Reference

Harré,Rom: 'Laws of Nature' [Duckworth 1993], p.52


A Reaction

I'm often struck by how obscure and difficult our accounts of self-evident facts can be. Chairs are easy, and the metaphysics of chairs is hideous. Why is that? I'm a robust realist, but I like Poincaré's idea. He permits facts.