The Comprehensibility of the Universe A New

This book puts forth a radically new conception of science. Maxwell argues that the prevailing view of the relation between scientific theory and evidence is untenable; he calls for a new orthodoxy that sees science as making a hierarchy of assumptions about the comprehensibility of the universe. This new conception has significant implications for both philosophy and science, promises to heal the rift between the two, and will be essential reading for people working in both fields.

List of Figures and Tables

xiv

(1)

List of Abbreviations

xv

1. A NEW CONCEPTION OF SCIENCE

1

(35)

1. How does science make progress?

1

(1)

2. The orthodox conception of science is untenable

2

(2)

3. The fundamental epistemological dilemma of science

4

(2)

4. Aim-oriented empiricism

6

(7)

5. How aim-oriented empiricism solves the fundamental dilemma

13

(4)

6. Aim-oriented empiricism as the key to scientific progress

17

(2)

7. Traditional rationalism and empiricism

19

(2)

8. Clashing principles

21

(2)

9. From standard to aim-oriented empiricism

23

(3)

10. Implications of adopting the new conception of science

26

(6)

11. Can philosophy of science have implications for science?

32

(1)

12. The limitations of physics

33

(1)

13. Plan of the book

34

(2)

2. THE FAILINGS OF STANDARD EMPIRICISM

36

(39)

1. Failure of standard empiricism to do justice to achievements of modern science

36

(1)

2. Bare and dressed standard empiricism

37

(1)

3. How widely held is standard empiricism?

38

(7)

4. Ten problems standard empiricism cannot solve

45

(1)

5. The ten problems concern natural science as a whole and not just theoretical physics

46

(1)

6. Fundamental objection to standard empiricism

46

(1)

7. Three problems of induction

47

(9)

8. Two problems of simplicity

56

(12)

9. Two problems about evidence

68

(1)

10. Three problems of scientific progress

69

(5)

11. Conclusion

74

(1)

3. COMPREHENSIBILITY

75

(28)

1. Introduction

75

(1)

2. What does comprehensibility mean?

75

(3)

3. Unity through diversity: the Presocratics

78

(2)

4. Blueprints for a physically comprehensible universe

80

(9)

5. Aspects of physical comprehensibility

89

(4)

6. From non-aberrance to unity

93

(10)

4. SIMPLICITY

103

(61)

1. Introduction

103

(1)

2. Pragmatic and epistemological notions of simplicity

103

(1)

3. Diverse aspects of the problem of what simplicity is

104

(2)

4. How aim-oriented empiricism solves the problem of what simplicity is

106

(3)

5. Content and form

109

(1)

6. Terminological simplicity

110

(3)

7. Further questions

113

(5)

8. Is physicalism meaningful?

118

(2)

9. Unity throughout diversity

120

(1)

10. The problematic vagueness of physicalism

121

(2)

11. Two examples of theoretical unification from the history of physics

123

(8)

12. Global and local gauge invariance of Maxwell's equations

131

(1)

13. Further unifying achievements of modern physics

132

(9)

14. How can what exists at one instant necessarily determine what exists subsequently?

141

(14)

15. Goodman-type objections

155

(2)

16. Simplicity

157

(2)

17. How is the physical comprehensibility of a new theory to be assessed?

159

(4)

18. Conclusion

163

(1)

5. INDUCTION

164

(45)

1. Introduction

164

(1)

2. Outline of the solution and three objections answered

165

(3)

3. Rivals to comprehensibility

168

(4)

4. The induction theorem

172

(1)

5. Proof of the induction theorem

173

(20)

r = 2

175

(2)

r = 3

177

(3)

r = 4

180

(3)

r = 5

183

(1)

r = 6

184

(1)

r = 7

184

(2)

r = 10

186

(1)

r = 9

187

(4)

r = 8

191

(2)

6. Knowledge must be explanatory

193

(3)

7. Necessary connections

196

(3)

8. All three problems of induction solved

199

(2)

9. Reply to objections

201

(8)

6. EVIDENCE, PROGRESS, AND DISCOVERY

209

(19)

1. Introduction

209

(1)

2. Two problems about evidence

209

(2)

3. Two problems about scientific progress

211

(8)

4. A problem concerning scientific discovery

219

(4)

5. Is aim-oriented empiricism required for the solution to the ten problems?

223

(5)

7. QUANTUM THEORY

228

(27)

1. Why orthodox quantum theory poses a challenge for aim-oriented empiricism

228

(2)

2. Six defects of orthodox quantum theory that result from the failure to solve the wave/particle problem

230

(5)

3. Probabilism as the key to the solution to the great quantum mystery

235

(12)

4. When do probabilistic jumps occur? An idea as old as quantum theory itself

247

(2)

5. The precise postulate

249

(3)

6. Why has the idea been ignored?

252

(1)

7. Conclusion

253

(2)

Mathematical and Physical Appendix

255

(14)

1. Differential equations

255

(1)

2. Maxwell's equations of the electromagnetic field

256

(1)

3. The role of symmetry and group theory in physics

257

(5)

4. Is symmetry necessary for unity, or is it just one possible ingredient?

262

(2)

5. Groups and matrices

264

(1)

6. Introduction to quantum theory

265

(4)

Notes

269

(28)

References

297

(10)

Index

307

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The Comprehensibility of the Universe A New Conception of Science

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