Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Science and Method', 'Statistical Explanation' and 'on Goodman's 'Ways of Worldmaking''

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3 ideas

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 2. Geometry

10245	One geometry cannot be more true than another [Poincaré]
	Full Idea: One geometry cannot be more true than another; it can only be more convenient.
	From: Henri Poincaré (Science and Method [1908], p.65), quoted by Stewart Shapiro - Philosophy of Mathematics
	A reaction: This is the culminating view after new geometries were developed by tinkering with Euclid's parallels postulate.

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 6. Physicalism

18438	Every worldly event, without exception, is a redistribution of microphysical states [Quine]
	Full Idea: Nothing happens in the world, not the flutter of an eyelid, not the flicker of a thought, without some redistribution of microphysical states.
	From: Willard Quine (on Goodman's 'Ways of Worldmaking' [1978], p.98)
	A reaction: Is this causation, identity, or baffling supervenience?

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation

14366	An explanation is a table of statistical information [Salmon, by Strevens]
	Full Idea: On Salmon's statistical relevance view, an explanation is a table of statistical information.
	From: report of Wesley Salmon (Statistical Explanation [1970]) by Michael Strevens - No Understanding without Explanation 1
	A reaction: [He cites W.Salmon 1970] When put like that the view sounds incredibly implausible, but maybe a reading of Salmon would improve the case for it.