Re: A theory of beliefs

From: Ron Peterson (ron_at_shell.core.com)
Date: 07/26/04 

Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 19:18:11 -0000

In sci.econ Lester Zick <lesterDELzick@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 16:27:02 -0000, Ron Peterson <ron@shell.core.com>
> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:

>>I said *that* concept of truth.

> OK, the scientific standard of truth is not derived from axioms. But
> there is a paradigm of experimentally defined properties against
> which the truth of scientific theories is gauged in terms of self
> contradiction. If there is no contradiction the theory is assumed
> true.

No, scientific theories are never assumed true. The best we have is a
working hypothesis.

>>Why do you need a standard of truth for scientific theories? And, what
>>is a standard of truth?

> You need a standard of truth for scientific theories for the same
> reason you need a standard of truth for axiomatic theorems, to judge
> the self consistency of theories drawn in terms of the paradigm in
> terms of self contradiction. In geometry and mathematics generally
> axioms provide the basis against which to judge self consistency. In
> non axiomatic science an experimentally determined paradigm is used.

The consistency of a theory is a separate issue from whether the theory
is true.

> The origins of axioms and physical paradigms are different. But that
> doesn't mean that axioms are any less experimentally determinate.
> For example, the geometric axiom that a straight line is the shortest
> distance between two points is experimentally validated to the extent
> possible. ...

The truth of mathematical propositions don't depend on experimental
validation. 

-- 
   Ron

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