IBP Psychology and Science

Chapter 7: The limitations of falsificationism

However securely based on observation or experiment a factual claim might be, the falsificationist’s position makes it impossible to rule out the possibility that advances in scientific knowledge might reveal inadequacies in that claim. Consequently, straightforward, conclusive falsifications of theories by observation are not achievable.

If a theory is to be experimentally tested, then more will be involved than those statements that constitute the theory under test

• The theory will need to be augmented by auxiliary assumptions, such as laws and theories governing the use of any instruments used
• In order to deduce some prediction, it will be necessary to add initial conditions such as a description of the experimental set-up
• In more complicated theories, if the prediction is false, we don’t know which premise was false

Example: Brahé claimed to have refuted the Copernican theory

• Brahé: If the earth orbits the sun, then the direction in which a fixed star is observed from earth should vary during the course of the year as the earth moves from one side of the sun to the other.
• Brahé tried to detect this predicted parallax with his instruments, which were the most accurate ones at the time, and he failed. This led Brahé to conclude that the Copernican theory was false.
• With hindsight, it can be appreciated that it was not the Copernican theory that was responsible for the faulty prediction, but one of Brahé’s auxiliary assumptions. Brahé’s estimate of the distance of the fixed stars was many times too small.

If falsificationism had been strictly adhered to by scientists then those theories generally regarded as being among the best examples of scientific theories would never have been developed because they would have been rejected early on

• Example: Newton’s gravitational theory was falsified by observations of the moon’s orbit. It turned out that it was never possible to explain away this falsification in a way that protected Newton’s theory

Science or pseudoscience?

• Example: If a horoscope writes: ‘a new lover will put a sparkle in your eye and improve social activities’, this is certainly falsifiable. However, it is not regarded as scientific

Faced with the problems surrounding the degree of definiteness with which theories can be falsified, Popper admits that it is often necessary to retain theories in spite of apparent falsifications. However, if both a critical and a dogmatic attitude can be condoned, then it is difficult to see what attitudes are ruled out.

Resources:

What is This Thing Called Science 4^th Edition (CHALMERS)