Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification
<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: #000000; widows: 0; orphans: 0 } P.western { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt } P.cjk { font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: zh-...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of the Basque Country
2014-02-01
|
| Series: | Theoria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/7235 |
| _version_ | 1811317321340289024 |
|---|---|
| author | Victor Gijsbers |
| author_facet | Victor Gijsbers |
| author_sort | Victor Gijsbers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: #000000; widows: 0; orphans: 0 } P.western { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt } P.cjk { font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: zh-CN } P.ctl { font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: hi-IN } A:link { so-language: zxx } --><p class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Recent interest in the idea that there can be scientific understanding without explanation lends new relevance to Duhem's notion of natural classification. According to Duhem, a classification that is natural teaches us something about nature without being explanatory. However, Duhem's conception of naturalness leaves much to be desired. In this paper, I argue that we can measure the naturalness of classification by using an amended version of the notion of unification as defined by Schurz and Lambert. If this thesis is correct, it both leads to a better conceptual understanding of scientific understanding, and also gives the nascent literature on this topic some much-needed precision.</span></p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:04:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5398e40ed77d413f8fbad900a272528e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0495-4548 2171-679X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:04:48Z |
| publishDate | 2014-02-01 |
| publisher | University of the Basque Country |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Theoria |
| spelling | doaj.art-5398e40ed77d413f8fbad900a272528e2022-12-22T02:47:40ZengUniversity of the Basque CountryTheoria0495-45482171-679X2014-02-01291718210.1387/theoria.72358578Unification as a Measure of Natural ClassificationVictor Gijsbers0Leiden University<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; direction: ltr; color: #000000; widows: 0; orphans: 0 } P.western { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt } P.cjk { font-family: "DejaVu Sans"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: zh-CN } P.ctl { font-family: "Lohit Hindi"; font-size: 12pt; so-language: hi-IN } A:link { so-language: zxx } --><p class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Recent interest in the idea that there can be scientific understanding without explanation lends new relevance to Duhem's notion of natural classification. According to Duhem, a classification that is natural teaches us something about nature without being explanatory. However, Duhem's conception of naturalness leaves much to be desired. In this paper, I argue that we can measure the naturalness of classification by using an amended version of the notion of unification as defined by Schurz and Lambert. If this thesis is correct, it both leads to a better conceptual understanding of scientific understanding, and also gives the nascent literature on this topic some much-needed precision.</span></p>http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/7235unification, understanding, explanation, natural classification, Pierre Duhem |
| spellingShingle | Victor Gijsbers Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification Theoria unification, understanding, explanation, natural classification, Pierre Duhem |
| title | Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification |
| title_full | Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification |
| title_fullStr | Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification |
| title_short | Unification as a Measure of Natural Classification |
| title_sort | unification as a measure of natural classification |
| topic | unification, understanding, explanation, natural classification, Pierre Duhem |
| url | http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/view/7235 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT victorgijsbers unificationasameasureofnaturalclassification |