quote:
I am not advocating a position or trying to take a position - I was just trying to get a discussion going that might cary over into the main topic of this forum. And yes Stragg - Ultimately I was asking how far is one willing to go with reason alone? What place does reason have in determining truth or value within scientific inquiry?
Well, if a theoretical framework makes empirical predictions and one believes in a theory of confirmation, then it would seem that the theories support would have to be increased in the predictions come to fruition.
The upshot of this would be that any deduction from this framework would be supported as well, even those which may not be observable in principle. And I don't think this can be considered the use of pure reason ("reason alone") since are judgement of the premises is purely based on empirical principles.
And ahoy from the HPS department at the University of Pittsburgh. I studied Bio and Chem in my undergrad and am finishing up my HPS degree/physics minor degree by next spring.