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Single Idea 6762

[from 'Philosophy of Science' by Alexander Bird, in 26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature ]

Full Idea

None of Newton's laws individually records anything that can be observed; it is only from combinations of Newton's laws that we can derive the measurable motions of bodies.

Gist of Idea

Newton's laws cannot be confirmed individually, but only in combinations

Source

Alexander Bird (Philosophy of Science [1998], Ch.2)

Book Reference

Bird,Alexander: 'Philosophy of Science' [UCL Press 2000], p.87


A Reaction

This certainly scuppers any traditional positivist approach to how we confirm laws of nature. It invites the possibility that a different combination might fit the same observations. Experiments attempt to isolate laws.