Incommensurability, realism, and meta-incommensurability

Theoria 12 (3):447-465 (1997)
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Abstract

The essay begins with a detailed consideration of the introduction of incommensurability by Feyerabend in 1962 which exposes several historically inaccurate claims about incommensurability. Section 2 is a coneise argument against causal theories of reference as used as arguments against incommensurability. We object to this strategy because it begs the question by presupposing realism. Section 3 introduces and discusses a hypothesis that w'e call meta-incommensurability which provides the reason for the wide-spread accusation of question-begging and use of circular argumentation among the proponents of both realist and non-realist interpretations of science

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Citations of this work

Scientific realism and the semantic incommensurability thesis.Howard Sankey - 2009 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 40 (2):196-202.
Reference, ontological replacement and Neo-Kantianism: a reply to Sankey.Paul Hoyningen-Huene & Eric Oberheim - 2009 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 40 (2):203-209.
Reference and Resemblance.Hanne Andersen - 2001 - Philosophy of Science 68 (S3):S50-S61.

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