Dear all, Please join us for the first CamPoS (Cambridge Philosophy of Science) seminar of Easter Term this Wednesday, 1st May, 1-2:30pm in HPS Seminar Room 2. William Harper (University of Western Ontario) will give a talk entitled "Isaac Newton's scientific method". The abstract is below, followed by the line-up for the whole term.
All welcome. Best wishes, Vashka -- On the basic Hypothetico-deductive model hypothesized principles are tested by experimental verification of observable consequences drawn from them. Empirical success is limited to accurate prediction. Newton's inferences from phenomena realize an ideal of empirical success that is richer than prediction. To realize Newton's richer conception of empirical success a theory needs to do more than to accurately predict the phenomena it purports to explain; in addition, it needs to have the phenomena accurately measure parameters of the theory. Newton's method aims to turn theoretical questions into ones which can be empirically answered by measurement from phenomena. Propositions inferred from phenomena are provisionally accepted as guides to further research. Newton employs theory-mediated measurements to turn data into far more informative evidence than can be achieved by hypothetico-deductive confirmation alone. On his method deviations from the model developed so far count as new theory-mediated phenomena to be exploited as carrying information to aid in developing a more accurate successor. All of these enrichments are exemplified in the classical response to Mercury's perihelion problem. Contrary to Kuhn, Newton's method endorses the radical transition from his theory to Einstein's. These richer themes of Newton's method are, also, strikingly realized in the response to a challenge to general relativity from a later problem posed by Mercury's perihelion. We can also see Newton's method at work in cosmology today in the support afforded to the (dark energy) cosmic expansion from the agreeing measurements from supernovae and cosmic microwave background radiation. -- 1 May: William Harper (University of Western Ontario) "Isaac Newton's scientific method" 8 May: Paulina Sliwa (Philosophy, Cambridge) "Knowing and understanding" 15 May: Donald Gillies (UCL) "Two views on the relation between causality and probability" 22 May: Ian Kidd (Durham University) "Epistemic humility" _____________________________________________________ Sent by the CamPhilEvents mailing list. To unsubscribe or change your membership options, please visit the list information page: http://bit.ly/CamPhilEvents Posts are archived here: http://bit.ly/CamPhilEventsArchive
