PS100 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Fathom, Pure Data, Augmented Reality
Document Summary
Last time i mentioned that empirical knowledge can"t be absolutely true due to three problems: sensations, induction and theory-ladenness. Problem of sensation means that there is no guarantee that senses convey the exact picture of things as they really are. Problem of induction means that no matter how many confirming instances are observed, inductive generalizations remain fallible. Problem of theory-ladenness means that the results of experiments and observations are shaped by our accepted theories. Above all, no synthetic proposition can be infallible. Kan+ claims that the new software they developed could solve two long lasting problems: the problem of sensations and the problem of theory-ladenness. Moreover, they say that they can do perfect measurements, produce pure data, and get absolute knowledge. From my point of view, i don"t agree with those claims. First of all, there is no way we can get rid of the problem of sensation.
