The idea behind this conference was to encourage philosophers and scientists to talk to each other about the role of thought experiments in their various. Geology or any other experimental science, it is relevant to define the concept and to. In this paper i too want to use this comparative method. Chapter 1 motivates the study of thought experimentsin broad strokes. I will argue with sorensen that thought experiments in science and philosophy are of a kind. Examplesofthoughtexperiments inscience andphilosophy. Uses science fiction to address a series of classic and contemporary philosophical issues, including many raised by recent scientific developments. Bacons method relied on experimental histories to eliminate alternative theories. Success here will radiate to my secondary goal of understanding philosophical thought experiments. Conceptual clarifications not only improve the precision and utility of scientific terms but also lead to novel experimental investigations because. Experimental results, hard facts, and not the scholastic distinctions of the philosophers. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. In error and the growth of experimental knowledge, deborah mayo 1996 surveys. This was a crucial result for the emerging science of physics, and isaac newtons ideas of motion and universal gravitation.
The role of thought experiments in science and science. Thats not a par ticularly helpful answer as it stands, but at least it allows us to break our original. Pdf thought experiments and intuition pumps in philosophy. On the other hand, sorensen thinks that thought experiments in science and philosophy can be treated as of a kind.
It is the application of philosophical methods to philosophical problems as they arise in the context of the sciences. The role of thought experiments in science and science learning. Horowitz, tamara and massey, gerald 1991 thought experiments in science and philosophy. The kits are usually composed of about ten interrelated documents. On thought experiments as a priori science article pdf available in international studies in the philosophy of science 3. Practicing and studying automated experimentation may benefit from philosophical reflection on experimental science in general. The implications of nature of science, its history, philosophy, sociology and. Think of gettierstyle cases when you read this thought experiment. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. This volume originated in a conference on the place of thought experiments in science and philosophy which was organized by us and held at the center for philosophy of science at the university of pittsburgh, april 1820, 1986.
Thought experiments stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Philosophy of science is a subfield of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods. Thought experiments in science and philosophy philsci. Scientific thought experiments especially those in physicsare the clear cases, so my primary goal is to establish true and interesting generalizations about them. Albert camus the plague as a thought experiment published on 02 may 2019 by wilhelm fink. Pdf introduction to thought experiments in science and.
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