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8/14/2019 PHIL60 Philosophy of Science: final
1/4
James Yu
Phil 60
Final Exam
1(a)
Van Fraassen emphasizes that scientific realism is concerned with the stance on
observable entities. Theories eventually tell us something about observables. In order to
even come to talk about such a position, there needs to be a dividing line between
unobservables and observables. His belief is that empirically adequate theories should be
taken literally, and once they become adequate, we should accept them as true. He holds
that empirically adequate means that it saves the phenomenon. Where he differs from
anti-realists is that he is an agnostic when it comes to unobservable theories.
I believe that Van Fraassens argument is quite weak, especially when it comes to
his distinctions between the observable and the unobservable. Indeed, without this
distinction, he would have no argument.
Van Fraassen agrees that there is no clear cut boundary between the observable
and the unobservable. However, he puts forth the fact that there are clear cut cases for
both of these. I do not have a problem with a clear cut case for something that is
observable, but I do have a problem with his clear cut cases for the unobservable. For
example, Van Fraassen talks about how the particles in a cloud chamber are not
observable, even though we observe their trails. He gives the metaphor of a jet and its
trail in the sky. I find that this way of thinking about observables is flawed.
Van Fraassen seems is very human centric when talking about observables. I
think that his approach towards what is observable is from the wrong direction. The
human eye responds to light as it comes in through the iris. These signals get interpreted
8/14/2019 PHIL60 Philosophy of Science: final
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and transmitted in the retina. The procedure from the light entering our eyes to the
perception in our brain is just as complicated (and non-direct) as the procedure of
observing particles through their trails in a cloud chamber. Indeed, our eyes have an
undeniable amount of distortion from the lens, air, and psychological effects.
The problem is that Van Fraassen is too human-centric when it comes to the
determination of observables. Much of our perception of the world is bogged down with
imperfections and limitations. This is the very reason why we use instruments to help
guide and highlight certain events and entities for our senses. I believe that there is
controversy and arbitrariness in the so-called clear cut cases that Van Fraassen uses to
argue his distinction. Our observing the trails of a particle gives valuable information
about the particle itselfmaybe even better information, since it highlights the pattern in
which it moves.
Without this distinction, I believe that Van Fraassen has now a weaker argument.
We should be able to use the sensations we receive, whether it be through an instrument
or not. This is especially true if these observed phenomena are used to further enrich and
progress a theory.
8/14/2019 PHIL60 Philosophy of Science: final
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2(a)
Cartwright is concerned with generalized laws that occur many times in fields
such as physics. Her view is that there is a trade-off between the explanatory power of a
law and its truth. Unlike some of the typical realism debates, Cartwright is not worried
the existence of theoretical entities.
The strong realists argument is that theoretical entities described by our laws are
real (the desk thumping kind of real). Cartwright instead focuses on the problem of the
truth of these laws in themselves. She gives the example of the net force being the true
force we observe on a mass. This, in general, is not the force due to gravity, but rather all
the forces combined. She has problems in accepting the argument that through vector
addition, these separately unobservable forces are observed. Even though we simply sum
the forces, Nature does not add forces. She holds that our summation is only a
metaphor, and not really a guarantee on what is really happening.
I believe that Cartwright has a type of logical positivists view on the truth of
laws. She believes that we have no idea about the real laws of nature in the real world
since the only laws we have are simple case laws that only work in very limited
environments. There is a sense that she will not accept a law unless it points to some
observables. This puts her closer to the logical positivist camp of realism.
In my opinion, Cartwrights view on laws leaves very little room for roles in
explanations of natural phenomenon. Our brains are wired to deduce laws from
observations. As humans, we do it all the timewhether youre a NASA scientist, or a
plumber. I disagree with Cartwrights pessimistic stance on how the composite of
8/14/2019 PHIL60 Philosophy of Science: final
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individual laws do not guarantee a whole framework of truth. As an engineer, I agree
with the tenets put forth by Hacking and other experimental realists.
I agree that we never do really observe the individual forces by themselves.
However, it would be quite a miracle if the composite of these theoretical forces always
matches well with the observed net force. Obviously, scientists have shown this many
times in the laboratory.
If we were to run labs under Cartwrights stringent view on laws, we would have
to run tests without considering the composite of forces. This would be a nightmare.
Practically speaking, we would never get progress with our theories because we would
always be worrying about the composition problem of the forces. With this, the only
explanatory powers of these laws would be in the simple ideal cases that never naturally
occur. I feel like we would have to start all over from scratch under these stringent
guidelines. Much of the progress in physics is the beautiful way in which various laws
combine and explain phenomena. I find that Cartwrights checklist for facticity is in the
wrong direction, at least as a practical way for humans to understand the world.