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Article 3069 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: cam@castle.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Cargo Cult Science
Message-ID: <16979@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 23 Jan 92 20:01:02 GMT
References: <1992Jan16.190930.14079nagle@netcom.COM> <16814@castle.ed.ac.uk> <1992Jan22.181811.23990@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Organization: Edinburgh University
Lines: 31

In article <1992Jan22.181811.23990@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca> pindor@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Andrzej Pindor) writes:
|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.

|>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 .... 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.

Does this really happen more often? In this newsgroup? I've noticed a
considerable and very tedious amount of what I complained about. I
admit the possibility of what you complained about, but I can't recall
any instances, though there might have been one or two.
-- 
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


