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Single Idea 15873

[from 'Popular Scientific Lectures' by Ernst Mach, in 1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 2. Positivism ]

Full Idea

For Mach, the laws of nature are simply the compendious record of sensory regularities, correlations of elements. Any additional concepts are no more than symbols or devices for the convenient recording of general sensory patterns.

Gist of Idea

Laws of nature are just records of regularities and correlations, with concepts to make recording them easier

Source

report of Ernst Mach (Popular Scientific Lectures [1894], pp.201-5) by Rom Harré - Laws of Nature 2

Book Reference

Harré,Rom: 'Laws of Nature' [Duckworth 1993], p.43


A Reaction

Mach is the high priest of scientific positivism, which is really just hard-line empiricism.

Related Idea

Idea 15867 Laws describe abstract idealisations, not the actual mess of nature [Harré]