Combining Texts
Ideas for
'Writing the Book of the World', 'fragments/reports' and 'Philosophy of Science'
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32 ideas
14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 1. Observation
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6792
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If theories need observation, and observations need theories, how do we start? [Bird]
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14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 4. Prediction
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6757
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Explanation predicts after the event; prediction explains before the event [Bird]
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory
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6805
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Relativity ousted Newtonian mechanics despite a loss of simplicity [Bird]
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6777
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Realists say their theories involve truth and the existence of their phenomena [Bird]
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6804
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There is no agreement on scientific method - because there is no such thing [Bird]
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science
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14988
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A theory which doesn't fit nature is unexplanatory, even if it is true [Sider]
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 3. Instrumentalism
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6778
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Instrumentalists regard theories as tools for prediction, with truth being irrelevant [Bird]
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 8. Ramsey Sentences
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14982
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If I used Ramsey sentences to eliminate fundamentality from my theory, that would be a real loss [Sider]
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14. Science / C. Induction / 2. Aims of Induction
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6775
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Induction is inference to the best explanation, where the explanation is a law [Bird]
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14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction
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6791
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If Hume is right about induction, there is no scientific knowledge [Bird]
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6790
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Anything justifying inferences from observed to unobserved must itself do that [Bird]
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14. Science / C. Induction / 5. Paradoxes of Induction / a. Grue problem
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14989
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Problem predicates in induction don't reflect the structure of nature [Sider]
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6738
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Any conclusion can be drawn from an induction, if we use grue-like predicates [Bird]
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6739
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Several months of observing beech trees supports the deciduous and evergreen hypotheses [Bird]
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6799
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We normally learn natural kinds from laws, but Goodman shows laws require prior natural kinds [Bird]
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14997
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Two applications of 'grue' do not guarantee a similarity between two things [Sider]
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14. Science / C. Induction / 6. Bayes's Theorem
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14990
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Bayes produces weird results if the prior probabilities are bizarre [Sider]
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6798
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Bayesianism claims to find rationality and truth in induction, and show how science works [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / a. Explanation
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15005
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Explanations must cite generalisations [Sider]
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6752
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The objective component of explanations is the things that must exist for the explanation [Bird]
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6754
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We talk both of 'people' explaining things, and of 'facts' explaining things [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation
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6750
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Explanations are causal, nomic, psychological, psychoanalytic, Darwinian or functional [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / b. Contrastive explanations
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6761
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Contrastive explanations say why one thing happened but not another [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / e. Lawlike explanations
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6758
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'Covering law' explanations only work if no other explanations are to be found [Bird]
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6759
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Livers always accompany hearts, but they don't explain hearts [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / l. Probabilistic explanations
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6756
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Probabilistic-statistical explanations don't entail the explanandum, but makes it more likely [Bird]
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6760
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An operation might reduce the probability of death, yet explain a death [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / a. Best explanation
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6785
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Inference to the Best Explanation is done with facts, so it has to be realist [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / b. Ultimate explanation
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15011
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If the ultimate explanation is a list of entities, no laws, patterns or mechanisms can be cited [Sider]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / c. Against best explanation
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6788
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Maybe bad explanations are the true ones, in this messy world [Bird]
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6787
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Which explanation is 'best' is bound to be subjective, and no guide to truth [Bird]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 4. Explanation Doubts / a. Explanation as pragmatic
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6751
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Maybe explanation is so subjective that it cannot be a part of science [Bird]
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