HPS100H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Phlogiston Theory, Scientific Realism, Fallibilism
18 Nov 2016
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Scientific realism says yes scientific realism: our best scientific theories correctly describe the nature of the mind independent world. Structural realism is flawed, for our knowledge about relations is not immune to change: entity realism our knowledge about unobservable entities is true, although our theories concerning relations between these entities can be false. Entity realism is flawed, for the list of entities that presumably populate the world has changed through time. Instrumentalism says no we do not know whether our theories correctly describe the nature of the mind-i(cid:374)depe(cid:374)de(cid:374)t (cid:449)orld. Thus, (cid:449)e should(cid:374)"t a(cid:272)(cid:272)ept theories, (cid:271)ut should only use them in practical applications, for theories are nothing more than useful tools. Scientific realism our knowledge about unobservable entities may be false but our knowledge about certain relations between entities is true. Structural realism although, in the future our theories may be rejected, most of the equations will survive in one way or another.
