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Single Idea 16179

[from 'How the Laws of Physics Lie' by Nancy Cartwright, in 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / b. Best system theory ]

Full Idea

There is no reason to think that the principles that best organise will be true, nor that the principles that are true will organise much.

Gist of Idea

Good organisation may not be true, and the truth may not organise very much

Source

Nancy Cartwright (How the Laws of Physics Lie [1983], 2.5)

Book Reference

Cartwright,Nancy: 'How the Laws of Physics Lie' [OUP 2002], p.53


A Reaction

This is aimed at the Mill-Ramsey-Lewis account of laws, as axiomatisations of the observed patterns in nature.