From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.ecf!utgpu!pindor Tue Jan 28 12:15:38 EST 1992
Article 2999 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Path: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.ecf!utgpu!pindor
>From: pindor@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Andrzej Pindor)
Subject: Re: Cargo Cult Science
Message-ID: <1992Jan22.181811.23990@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Organization: UTCS Public Access
References: <92Jan15.175909est.14446@neat.cs.toronto.edu> <1992Jan16.061242.21335@news.media.mit.edu> <1992Jan16.190930.14079nagle@netcom.COM> <16814@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1992 18:18:11 GMT

In article <16814@castle.ed.ac.uk> cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm) writes:
>There is another aspect to this. There are philosophers of science (and
>scientists) who think that there is an important category of scientific
>assertions which do not constitute refutable hypotheses, but are
>assertions from which refutable hypotheses can be derived. It is easy to
>overlook these in a mature science in a normal phase, since they are
>often taken to be so obvious that they are taken to be logical truths
>(often by a variety of the imagination-failure argument). They are very
>important, however, and easily disputable, in sciences in revolutionary
>or pre-paradigmatic phases. All-or-nothing refutationalists are apt to
>cause a great deal of confusion and distraction at these times by
>standing on the sidelines shouting for definitions, refutable
>hypotheses, accusing the players of non-science, metaphysics, etc..
>
You are right. However it also may happen (and does happen more often) that
a lot of people who are unable or unwilling to think in clear and precise
terms or who cannot distinguish between their subjective 'truths' and the
ones which can be shared with others, will be shouting: Hey, stop these
demands for definitions, refutable hypothesis, etc. You are only confusing us.
This is a revolutionary or pre-paradigmatic phase !
Perfect excuse for lousy thinking.

>Chris Malcolm    cam@uk.ac.ed.aifh          +44 (0)31 650 3085
>Department of Artificial Intelligence,    Edinburgh University
>5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK                DoD #205


-- 
Andrzej Pindor
University of Toronto
Computing Services
pindor@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca


