Beyond Kuhn: Scientific Explanation, Theory

Thomas Kuhn's celebrated work, 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' revolutionized thinking in the philosophy of science and to a large extent his 'paradigm shift' view has replaced logical positivism and the philosophy of Karl Popper. This book goes beyond Kuhn by explicating the non-deductive notion of 'paradigm shift' in terms of the new concept of representational space. In doing so, Edwin H.-C. Hung is able to produce the first-ever unitary theory that solves the five central problems in the philosophy of science: scientific explanation, the structure of scientific theories, incommensurability, scientific change and physical necessity. The book identifies the main task of science as representing reality. This involves the construction of a representational space and the subsequent modeling of reality with configurations of 'objects' in that space. Newton's mechanics, Einstein's relativity and quantum mechanics, then, all serve as representational spaces. 'Beyond Kuhn' is a significant progression in scientific methodology. Other than serving as a sequel to Kuhn's 'Scientific Revolutions', it will be of great use in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology and education.

Edwin Hung is Reader/Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Foreword I by Rom Harré (Oxford and Georgetown Universities)

vii

Foreword II by Peter Lipton (University of Cambridge)

ix

Preface

xiii

1 Introduction: The Road to Kuhn and Beyond

1

(7)

1.1 Truth

1

(1)

1.2 Explanation

2

(1)

1.3 The Classical View of Science

3

(1)

1.4 The Logical Positivist View on Theories

3

(2)

1.5 Kuhn's Paradigm View of Science

5

(1)

1.6 Beyond Kuhn: A Reconciliation of Kuhn and the Classical View of Science

6

(2)

2 A New Logic of Explanation

8

(11)

2.1 The Idea of Appearance versus Reality

8

(1)

2.2 Explanation of Regularities through Conceptual Shift

9

(4)

2.3 Explanation of Anomalies by Conceptual Shift

13

(3)

2.4 Utilitarian Justification of Conceptual Explanations

16

(3)

3 Structure of Conceptual Theories I: Category Systems

19

(12)

3.1 Conceptual Theories and Category Systems

19

(1)

3.2 Category Systems: Precision and Adequacy

19

(2)

3.3 Category Systems: Conceptual Explanation

21

(3)

3.4 Category Systems: Economy of Thought

24

(1)

3.5 Category Systems: Unification

25

(4)

3.6 Category Systems: Truth and Predictions

29

(2)

4 Structure of Conceptual Theories II: Representational Spaces

31

(14)

4.1 The Logic of Representation

31

(3)

4.2 Representational Spaces: Theory Change

34

(3)

4.3 Representational Spaces: Conceptual Explanation

37

(4)

4.4 Representational Spaces and Category Systems

41

(1)

4.5 Methodology of Representational Space

42

(3)

5 Structure of Conceptual Theories III: Languages

45

(17)

5.1 Theories and Languages

45

(3)

5.2 Language: Conceptual Explanation and its True Logic

48

(6)

5.3 Language: Assertorial Contents

54

(6)

5.4 A Non-statement View of Theories

60

(2)

6 Incommensurability

62

(9)

6.1 Paradox of Incommensurability

62

(2)

6.2 Incommensurability as Conceptual Incongruity

64

(3)

6.3 How Incommensurable Theories are Comparable: Internal and External Subject Matter

67

(4)

7 Scientific Growth

71

(19)

7.1 The Empirical Stage

71

(2)

7.2 The Theoretic Stage

73

(3)

7.3 Normal Science

76

(2)

7.4 Theory Change

78

(1)

7.5 Theory Dynamics

79

(2)

7.6 Comte, Mill, Carnap and Popper

81

(3)

7.7 Methodology of Scientific Discovery and AI

84

(6)

8 Physical Necessity: A Cross-theoretic Notion

90

(19)

8.1 Laws of Nature in D-N Explanations

90

(1)

8.2 Extensional Construal of Laws

90

(2)

8.3 Intentional Construal of Laws

92

(2)

8.4 What is Physical Necessity?

94

(4)

8.5 Formal Definition of Physical Necessity

98

(4)

8.6 What is Truth?

102

(2)

8.7 Types of Truth: Theoretic Laws and Cross-theoretic Laws

104

(5)

9 Projective Explanation: Deduction Lost, Deduction Regained

109

(27)

9.1 Are Theoretic Explanations Deductive or Not?

109

(1)

9.2 Empirical Data: Their True Nature

110

(3)

9.3 Theoretic Explanations: Their True Nature

113

(6)

9.4 Phenomena: Their True Nature

119

(7)

9.5 Incommensurability I: The Conceptual Gap Problem

126

(4)

9.6 Incommensurability II: Bridging the Conceptual Gap

130

(3)

9.7 Incommensurability III: Finding Common Ground

133

(3)

Epilogue

136

(1)

Bibliography

137

(7)

Index

144

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Beyond Kuhn: Scientific Explanation, Theory Structure, Incommensurability and Physical Necessity

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