Understanding the selective realist defence against the PMI

2019

Found Sci

Lyons (2016, 2017, 2018) formulates Laudan's (1981) historical objection to scientific realism as a modus tollens. I present a better formulation of Laudan's objection, and then argue that Lyons's formulation is supererogatory. Lyons rejects scientific realism (Putnam, 1975) on the grounds that some successful past theories were (completely) false. I reply that scientific realism is not the categorical hypothesis that all successful scientific theories are (approximately) true, but rather the statistical hypothesis that most successful scientific theories are (approximately) true. Lyons rejects selectivism (Kitcher, 1993; Psillos, 1999) on the grounds that some working assumptions were (completely) false in the history of science. I reply that selectivists would say not that all working assumptions are (approximately) true, but rather that most working assumptions are (approximately) true.

Section: Objections and Repliesmentioning

confidence: 93%

In Defense of Realism and Selectivism from Lyons’s Objections

2019

Found Sci

“…The argument from neighboring theories undercuts not only pessimism but also selectivism. Selectivists observe that working posits of past theories were retained, but their idle posits were discarded (Worrall, 1989;Kitcher, 1993;Psillos, 1999;Chakravartty, 2008;Enfield, 2008;Godfrey-Smith, 2008;Harker, 2008;Psillos, 2009;Saatsi, 2009;Ruhmkorff, 2011: 882;Vickers, 2017;Psillos, 2018). On the basis of this observation of past theories, selectivists predict that working posits of present theories will survive scientific revolutions, though their idle posits will not.…”

Section: The Argument From Neighboring Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Coherence of Evolutionary Theory with Its Neighboring Theories

2019

Acta Biotheor

Evolutionary theory coheres with its neighboring theories, such as the theory of plate tectonics, molecular biology, electromagnetic theory, and the germ theory of disease. These neighboring theories were previously unconceived, but they were later conceived, and then they cohered with evolutionary theory. Since evolutionary theory has been strengthened by its several neighboring theories that were previously unconceived, it will be strengthened by infinitely many hitherto unconceived neighboring theories. This argument for evolutionary theory echoes the problem of unconceived alternatives. Ironically, however, the former recommends that we take the realist attitude toward evolutionary theory, while the latter recommends that we take the antirealist attitude toward it.

“…2 Selectivism is another important position in the literature. It asserts that some parts of a scientific theory are worthy of our belief while others are not (Worrall, 1989;Psillos, 1999;Vickers, 2017;Psillos, 2018).…”

Section: Variants Of Scientific Antirealismmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…James Ladyman's (2014) structural realism might as well be called structuralism. Peter Vickers's (2017) selective realism might as well be called selectivism (Park, 2019a: 94-95).…”

Section: Variants Of Scientific Antirealismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critiques of Axiological Realism and Surrealism

2019

Acta Anal

Lyons's (2003Lyons's ( , 2018 axiological realism holds that science pursues true theories. I object that despite its name, it is a variant of scientific antirealism, and is susceptible to all the problems with scientific antirealism. Lyons (2003, 2018) also advances a variant of surrealism as an alternative to the realist explanation for success. I object that it does not give rise to understanding because it is an ad hoc explanans and because it gives a conditional explanation. Lyons might use axiological realism to account for the success of a theory. I object that some alternative axiological explanations are better than the axiological realist explanation, and that the axiological realist explanation is teleological. Finally, I argue that Putnam's realist position is more elegant than Lyons's.