Overview of Positivism

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Overview of Positivism

• September 22, 2008

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Positivism Main Points

• Roots in Empiricism
• Inspired by Scientific Advances
• Claims about Language
• Analytic/Synthetic Distinction
• Verifiability Theory of Meaning
• In Principle/In Practice
• Strong vs. Weak Verifiability
• Observation?

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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.

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Observational Language vs. Theoretical Language

• Two-step Process
• Observation sentences are given in experience.
• Observation sentences are then related to the
  theoretical sentences.

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There are photons. Photons have wave-like
properties. The photon emitter is switched
on. There are two slits in the wall. There are
light and dark bands on the screen.
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It looks like I have hands.
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There is an external world. I am not a brain in
a vat. (etc.) It looks like I have hands.
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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.

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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.

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Understand Science with Logic

• Deductive Logic
• The study of logical implication.
• E.g., what sentences, when true, necessitate the
  truth of what other sentences?
• Inductive Logic
• The study of logical relations between sets of
  sentences, when the neither set logically implies
  the other.
• Deductive logic may be regarded as the theory of
  the relation of logical consequence, and
  inductive logic as the theory of another concept
  c which is likewise objective and logical,
  viz., degree of confirmation. Rudolf Carnap

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Understand Science with Logic

• Doubts about Inductive Logic Could it be
  objective?
• Note about Bayesianism (see Ch 14)

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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.

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Discovery vs. Justification

• Context of Discovery how scientists go about
  doing science.
• Context of Justification what justifies the
  theories that scientists come up with.

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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.

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POSITIVISMS MAIN CLAIM

• Philosophy of science aims to come up with a
  logic of how past observation can lead to
  prediction of future observation. This will give
  us a philosophical picture of science.

Schlick what every scientist seeks, and seeks
alone, arethe rules which govern the connection
of experiences, and by which alone they can be
predicted.
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Positivism Views of Science

• Distinction Observational Language vs.
  Theoretical Language
• Science Aims for Prediction
• Logic is the Tool for Understanding Science
• Distinction Context of Discovery vs. Context of
  Justification
• Philosophical Analysis is Possible without
  Empirical Assumptions.
• Scientific inference is just like everyday
  inference.

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Later Logical Empiricism

• Maintain Observational/Theoretical Distinction
• Dilemma (I) Are the theoretical parts of
  science long-winded ways of talking about
  observation sentences, or (II) Are they about
  some hidden part of the world?
• Scientific Realism vs. Scientific Antirealism