CGSC 2002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Thomas Kuhn, Thought Experiment, Experimental Philosophy
1 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
In a thought experiment, we imagine a scenario and follow through some of the consequences to draw a conclusion (typically a theoretical claim). We will focus on the following questions about thought experiments: A thought experiment is about imagined situation. There are several theories about thought experiments. 1) thought experiments as triggers (thomas kuhn) 2) thought experiments as arguments (john norton) The function of thought experiments is to trigger scientists" memories of anomalies in research. By retrieving memories of the anomaly, scientists can spot some of the weaknesses of their current theory and seek to change it. Thought experiments are inductive or deductive arguments. Thought experiments can provide new knowledge because arguments can take us from familiar premises to surprising conclusions. If a thought experiment is an argument, it can provide new and reliable information in the same way any other argument does. The similarities between thought experiments and actual experiments outweigh the differences.
