Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Journal | Volume | Article

168356

Science generates limit paradoxes

Eric Dietrich Chris Fields

pp. 409-432

Abstract

The sciences occasionally generate discoveries that undermine their own assumptions. Two such discoveries are characterized here: the discovery of apophenia by cognitive psychology and the discovery that physical systems cannot be locally bounded within quantum theory. It is shown that such discoveries have a common structure and that this common structure is an instance of Priest's well-known Inclosure Schema. This demonstrates that science itself is dialetheic: it generates limit paradoxes. How science proceeds despite this fact is briefly discussed, as is the connection between our results and the realism-antirealism debate. We conclude by suggesting a position of epistemic modesty.

Publication details

Published in:

(2015) Axiomathes 25 (4).

Pages: 409-432

Full citation:

Dietrich Eric, Fields Chris (2015) „Science generates limit paradoxes“. Axiomathes 25 (4), 409–432.