Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument
The aim of this article is to offer a rejoinder to an argument against scientific realism put forward by van Fraassen, based on theoretical considerations regarding microphysics. At a certain stage of his general attack to scientific realism, van Fraassen argues, in contrast to what realists typica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2008-01-01
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| Series: | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| Online Access: | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/16361 |
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| _version_ | 1849388786621874176 |
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| author | Silvio Seno Chibeni |
| author_facet | Silvio Seno Chibeni |
| author_sort | Silvio Seno Chibeni |
| collection | DOAJ |
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The aim of this article is to offer a rejoinder to an argument against scientific realism put forward by van Fraassen, based on theoretical considerations regarding microphysics. At a certain stage of his general attack to scientific realism, van Fraassen argues, in contrast to what realists typically hold, that empirical regularities should sometimes be regarded as “brute facts”, which do not ask for explanation in terms of deeper, unobservable mechanisms. The argument from microphysics formulated by van Fraassen is based on the claim that in microphysics the demand for explanation leads to a demand for the so-called hidden-variable theories, which “runs contrary to at least one major school of thought in twentieth-century physics”. It is shown here that this argument does not represent an insurmountable obstacle to scientific realism, not even when a series of important theoretical and experimental results against hidden-variable theories — and not merely a conflict with a certain school of thought—is taken into account.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f0e040018a34ce88e49f5f2a5909c20 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1808-1711 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
| publisher | Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f0e040018a34ce88e49f5f2a5909c202025-08-20T03:42:10ZengUniversidade Federal de Santa CatarinaPrincipia: An International Journal of Epistemology1808-17112008-01-0112110.5007/1808-1711.2008v12n1p4913127Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argumentSilvio Seno Chibeni0State University of Campinas The aim of this article is to offer a rejoinder to an argument against scientific realism put forward by van Fraassen, based on theoretical considerations regarding microphysics. At a certain stage of his general attack to scientific realism, van Fraassen argues, in contrast to what realists typically hold, that empirical regularities should sometimes be regarded as “brute facts”, which do not ask for explanation in terms of deeper, unobservable mechanisms. The argument from microphysics formulated by van Fraassen is based on the claim that in microphysics the demand for explanation leads to a demand for the so-called hidden-variable theories, which “runs contrary to at least one major school of thought in twentieth-century physics”. It is shown here that this argument does not represent an insurmountable obstacle to scientific realism, not even when a series of important theoretical and experimental results against hidden-variable theories — and not merely a conflict with a certain school of thought—is taken into account. https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/16361 |
| spellingShingle | Silvio Seno Chibeni Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| title | Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument |
| title_full | Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument |
| title_fullStr | Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument |
| title_full_unstemmed | Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument |
| title_short | Explanations in Microphysics: A response to van Fraassen's argument |
| title_sort | explanations in microphysics a response to van fraassen s argument |
| url | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/16361 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT silviosenochibeni explanationsinmicrophysicsaresponsetovanfraassensargument |