Exceeding Our Grasp: Science, History, and the Problem of Unconceived AlternativesThe incredible achievements of modern scientific theories lead most of us to embrace scientific realism: the view that our best theories offer us at least roughly accurate descriptions of otherwise inaccessible parts of the world like genes, atoms, and the big bang. In Exceeding Our Grasp, Stanford argues that careful attention to the history of scientific investigation invites a challenge to this view that is not well represented in contemporary debates about the nature of the scientific enterprise. The historical record of scientific inquiry, Stanford suggests, is characterized by what he calls the problem of unconceived alternatives. Past scientists have routinely failed even to conceive of alternatives to their own theories and lines of theoretical investigation, alternatives that were both well-confirmed by the evidence available at the time and sufficiently serious as to be ultimately accepted by later scientific communities. Stanford supports this claim with a detailed investigation of the mid-to-late 19th century theories of inheritance and generation proposed in turn by Charles Darwin, Francis Galton, and August Weismann. He goes on to argue that this historical pattern strongly suggests that there are equally well-confirmed and scientifically serious alternatives to our own best theories that remain currently unconceived. Moreover, this challenge is more serious than those rooted in either the so-called pessimistic induction or the underdetermination of theories by evidence, in part because existing realist responses to these latter challenges offer no relief from the problem of unconceived alternatives itself. Stanford concludes by investigating what positive account of the spectacularly successful edifice of modern theoretical science remains open to us if we accept that our best scientific theories are powerful conceptual tools for accomplishing our practical goals, but abandon the view that the descriptions of the world around us that they offer are therefore even probably or approximately true. |
Contents
1 Realism Pessimism and Underdetermination | 3 |
The Problem of Unconceived Alternatives | 27 |
The Search for the Material Basis of Generation and Heredity | 51 |
4 Galton and the Stirp Theory | 80 |
5 August Weismanns Theory of the GermPlasm | 105 |
Pyrrhic Victories for Scientific Realism | 141 |
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Common terms and phrases
alternative possibilities and/or approximately true argues argument beliefs best scientific theories biophors body caloric theory cell cellular differentiation central terms challenge chap character characteristics claims concerning confirmational holism constitution contemporary core causal description course current theories Darwin defend differentiation distinct electromagnetic eliminative inferences empirical equivalents entities epistemic ether evidence example existence explanation fact failure to conceive forces fundamental Galton gemmules genetics germ-plasm germinal materials germinal specificity germs hereditary material heredity historical record hypothesis idioplasm insist instrumentalist Kitcher Laudan Leplin mechanical natural world Newtonian mechanics nonetheless novel predictive offered offspring ontogenetic ontogeny organism organism’s original emphasis pangenesis particles particular past theories pessimistic induction phenomena Philosophy of Science phlogiston theory problem of unconceived Psillos Psillos’s Pyrrhic victory realist reference reliability response scientific realism scientists seems selective confirmation serious alternative simply stirp structure successful theories suggest theoretical alternatives theorists theory’s truth ultimately unconceived alternatives underdetermination Weismann well-confirmed