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《(欣蒂卡) Hintikka - 1990 - 'Concepts of Scientific Method from Aristotle to Newton'》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、JAAKKOHINTIKKAConceptsofScientificMethodfromAristotletoNewtonInthispaper,Ishallnottrytopresentanyresultsconcerningthehistoryofphilosophyorconcerningthehistoryofphilosophersideasaboutthescientificmethodinthemiddleages.Instead,Ishallcommentontheconceptualframeworkswhichha
2、vebeenused,orcanbeused,insuchhistoricalstudies.Itseemstomethatourunderstandingofwhatactuallyhappenedinthemiddleagescanbegreatlyenhancedbyasuitableconceptualframeworkinwhichthespecifichistoricalproblemscanfindtheirappropriateniche.Ishallalsosuggestthatinthestudyofthehist
3、oryofthescientificmethod,asinsomanyotherwalksofphilosophicalscholarship,thebestwayoffindingtherightframework(inthesenseofthehistoricallyrelevantandusefulframework)istogobacktothemainGreekphilosophers,especiallytoAristotle,andtotrytoreachadeeperunderstandoftheirideas.The
4、irphilosophywasthemostimportantbackdropofmedievalthought,whichoftencanbelookeduponasagradualtransitionfromGreekideastoours.Inotherrespects,too,willanappropriatemapoftheconceptualsituationhelptofitdifferentactualhistoricaldevelopmentstogetheraspiecesofalargeroverallpictu
5、re.Inthisspirit,Iamledtoask:Howdowetwentieth-centurythinkersviewthescientificprocess,andhowdoourideasdifferfromAristotlesideasinthisrespect?Thisquestionmightseemtobetoogeneralandambiguoustoadmitofaclearresponse,butinrealitythereisaclearandyetinformativeanswertoit.Atwent
6、ieth-centuryphilosopherislikelytothinkofscientificinquiryasconsistingofmakingobservations(andgatheringotherkindsofempiricalevidence)andthenofusingthemasastepping-stonetogeneralexplanatorytheories.Thestepformdatatotheoriesissometimescalleda(speciesof)scientificinference.
7、Itisgenerallyagreedthatthisso-calledinferencecannotbedeductive.Themainwatershedbetweendifferentoverallconceptionsofscienceisthequestionwhetherthereisanondeductivekindofinference,usuallycalledinductiveinference,tomediatethestepfromobservationsConceptsofScientificMethod73
8、togeneraltheoriesorwhetherthisstepisinprincipleamatterofhypothesis.Accordingtothelatteridea,wecannotinfertheor
