摘要
本文分三部分。第一部分讨论在科学理论评价问题上科学哲学家能够为科学家做些什么,第二部分分析经验论和整体论的理论评价观所面临的难题,第三部分论述作者提出的理论评价的双标尺系统和整合观。在理论评价问题上科学哲学家能够为科学家做些什么?对此,在科学哲学家中间有两种态度。乐观主义者,包括某些逻辑经验主义者,批判理性主义者和马克思主义者在内。对这个问题做了非常自信的、肯定的回答,他们在能够做什么上过分奢望。他们认为他们能够告诉科学家应该做什么。其中有些人规定了若干标准或规则。
Philosophers of science can do something for scientists in theory assessment if they set a moderate target, namely to help scientists to understand the relevant aspects of theory assessment and to assess theories more efficiently, instead of an ambitious one. The empiricist and holistic view of theory assessment now face their own dilemmas, but a weak empiricism and a weak holism can be incorporated into an integrationist view of theory assessment. The aim of theory assessment is to promote the growth of knowledge and the progress of science. So we should have a doublescale system of theory assessment. That means a theory can be accepted in one of these two senses: it is reliable or it is promising. The measure of reliability or promise of a theory is discussed. The success or failure of a theory depends on whether it gets hard positive evidence in the long run, but not instantly. Both theory and evidence are a structured whole. Some clash between them can be dis(?)olved by adjusting some elements of either theory or evidence. But there is a point beyond which scientists are forced to accept or reject a theory.
出处
《自然辩证法通讯》
1985年第4期5-12,80,共9页
Journal of Dialectics of Nature
