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2 ideas
14906 | Non-positivist verificationism says only take a hypothesis seriously if it is scientifically based and testable [Ladyman/Ross on Peirce] |
Full Idea: With Peirce, we endorse a non-positivist version of verificationism - no hypothesis should be taken seriously if apparently beyond our capacity to investigate, and serious metaphysics must concern at least two plausible scientific hypotheses. | |
From: comment on Charles Sanders Peirce (How to Make our Ideas Clear [1878]) by J Ladyman / D Ross - Every Thing Must Go 1.3 | |
A reaction: [compressed] They say this is NOT a theory about meaning, as 'The Big Bang was caused by Elvis' is perfectly meaningful. Verificationism always seems to rule out bold speculation. Don't say 'take string theory seriously', if we can't test it? |
23629 | The ambiguity of words impedes the advancement of knowledge [Reid] |
Full Idea: There is no greater impediment to the advancement of knowledge than the ambiguity of words. | |
From: Thomas Reid (Essays on Intellectual Powers 1: Preliminary [1785], 1) | |
A reaction: He means that ambiguity leads to long pointless disagreements. |