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The type of argument Tyson is making in the video above is what is known as the coherentist theory of truth.
I don't hear Neil making any such argument in that video.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hightower72
He's using it to smokescreen the fact that his broader position is little more than a very simple consensus fallacy.
Since he is not using the argument you are tying to accuse him of...there is no smokescreen; additionally I'm not sure what consensus fallacy your referring to?
I don't hear Neil making any such argument in that video.
Since he is not using the argument you are tying to accuse him of...there is no smokescreen; additionally I'm not sure what consensus fallacy your referring to?
His statement beginning at 0:56 in the video is a textbook example of the coherence theory of truth.
Quote:
"An emergent scientific truth, for it to become an objective truth, a truth that is true whether or not you believe in it, it requires more than one scientific paper. It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same direction. All pointing to the same consequences."
Coherence theory of truth (coherentism):
- Objective truth is based purely upon how well knowledge within a system or set of knowledge 'coheres' with other knowledge.
- The more coherent the system, the more objectively true its constituent knowledge.
Correspondence theory of truth:
- Objective truth is based purely upon how well knowledge is supported by sound evidence and arguments.
- Truth value reduces to foundational axioms of logic and empirical observation.
Under the coherence theory it is impossible for a single scientific study to refute a broader field of theoretical knowledge, irrespective of how brilliant, visionary or sound its evidence and arguments. This contradicts much of the history of science.
That's why it's a poor argument from Tyson. The proper way to argue against cherry picking is to advocate careful appraisal of individual studies on a case-by-case basis. Instead, he resorts to clumsy and lazy discourses on epistemology.
Last edited by Hightower72; 03-13-2018 at 12:45 PM..
Reason: simplified language
This is his statement beginning at 0:56 in the video. This is a textbook example of the coherence theory of truth, irrespective of whether he's heard and studied the term or not.
The coherence theory reduces the truth of a proposition purely to how well it coheres with other propositions within a system or set of knowledge. In contrast, under the correspondence theory, a proposition is considered to have truth value to the extent that it is supported objectively by sound arguments. Arguments in turn are predicated on axiological principles: logic and empirical evidence.
LOL every single objective truth we have today on how the Universe works has been repeatedly confirmed through discovery, observation and experimentation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hightower72
That's why it's a poor argument from Tyson.
It's not even remotely close to being a poor argument from Neil.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hightower72
Instead of advocating careful critical appraisal of individual studies, which is the type of systematic review a competent scientist would recommend, he resorts to clumsy demonstration of epistemology.
I don't think you understand what the process of peer review is. Neil states it correctly: "It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same direction. All pointing to the same consequences." Yep that's how a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment becomes a Scientific Theory...i.e. an emergent objective scientific truth.
Now back to my question: What consensus fallacy your referring to?
His statement beginning at 0:56 in the video is a textbook example of the coherence theory of truth. Coherence theory of truth (coherentism):
- Objective truth is based purely upon how well knowledge within a system or set of knowledge 'coheres' with other knowledge.
- The more coherent the system, the more objectively true its constituent knowledge.
Correspondence theory of truth:
- Objective truth is based purely upon how well knowledge is supported by sound evidence and arguments.
- Truth value reduces to foundational axioms of logic and empirical observation.
So I suppose all of the current Scientific Theories are simply rubbish according to your argument/beliefs?
Climate change data is simple to understand. It does not take a PhD in physics to understand measurements and the ability to tie it to what we are observing.
While you are at it read up on the New Objections to Coherentism.
LOL every single objective truth we have today on how the Universe works has been repeatedly confirmed through discovery, observation and experimentation.
It's not even remotely close to being a poor argument from Neil.
I don't think you understand what the process of peer review is. Neil states it correctly: "It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same direction. All pointing to the same consequences." Yep that's how a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment becomes a Scientific Theory...i.e. an emergent objective scientific truth.
Now back to my question: What consensus fallacy your referring to?
Keep in mind this thread is about Climate Change.
Careful here. It's Tyson making the coherentist claim. If you link an article criticizing coherentism, you're supporting my argument not his. I suspect you've probably already realized this by now though.
There's an important difference between the following two statements:
1. "A scientific hypothesis that is verified by observation is more likely to have predictive value than one that doesn't."
2. "A scientific truth, by definition, is based exclusively upon a consensus of scientific experimental data."
The first is a basic tenet of the empirical method. The second is a philosophical claim about the nature of objective truth that can be disproven by any basic reading of history. They are fundamentally different propositions. Neither are anything to do with peer review.
Sigh...it's only you who is applying your beliefs to what Neil is stating. Since I don't agree with you I am not supporting any such claims against Neil.
The strongest scientific evidence is compiled into a consensus, which we take as our empirical truth. Neil is correct when he stated:
"An emergent scientific truth, for it to become an objective truth, a truth that is true whether or not you believe in it, it requires more than one scientific paper. It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same direction. All pointing to the same consequences".
Thank goodness for science discoveries leading to empirical truths...if not for them we would still be living in the Dark Ages.
Sigh...it's only you who is applying your beliefs to what Neil is stating. Since I don't agree with you I am not supporting any such claims against Neil.
The strongest scientific evidence is compiled into a consensus, which we take as our empirical truth. Neil is correct when he stated:
"An emergent scientific truth, for it to become an objective truth, a truth that is true whether or not you believe in it, it requires more than one scientific paper. It requires a whole system of people's research all leaning in the same direction. All pointing to the same consequences".
Thank goodness for science discoveries leading to empirical truths...if not for them we would still be living in the Dark Ages.
If you think that Tyson is not talking about coherentism then you need to explain why that's the case, referring to both his terminology and a standardized definition of coherentism. All the references you've linked so far do nothing but agree with what I've said.
We've already gone over the rest of your points above. Tyson is claiming that scientific truth is synonymous with consensus. That's a philosophical claim that is radically different to the basic scientific principle that theories are strengthened by verification.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matadora
So I suppose all of the current Scientific Theories are simply rubbish according to your argument/beliefs?
You need to be more careful with your contrapositives:
P: "Scientific consensus is the only index of scientific truth"
Q: "Scientific consensus is always an index of scientific untruth"
P being false doesn't mean that Q is true. In this case it means there are better measures of objective truth than consensus alone.
Coherentism being wrong doesn't mean that scientific consensus is a contrarian indicator.
Philosophy does not generate knowledge. Science generates knowledge.
Philosophy is incapable of addressing the truly fundamental questions about our existence. If you have not noticed, Science is making Philosophy obsolete.
At one time Philosophy was merged with Science. Philosophy is merely a reflection on the knoweldge that we learn, but it does not generate knowledge.
The knowledge about how the Universe works comes from Science.
The Philosophers can talk about it and think about all they want and maybe even add insight, but at the end of the day they don't generate knowledge. In this sense, once Philosophy became divorced from Science...i.e. once Philosophy separated out on it's own, Science became Natural Science and Philosophy remained Philosophy. At this point Philosophy started becoming marginalized and it's been more and more marginalized ever since.
Of course Philosophers are not thrilled with this fact, but it's just a fact.
What knowledge about Climate Change and Climate Change data has philosophy brought to us? None that I can think of.
Philosophy does not generate knowledge. Science generates knowledge.
Philosophy is incapable of addressing the truly fundamental questions about our existence. If you have not noticed, Science is making Philosophy obsolete.
At one time Philosophy was merged with Science. Philosophy is merely a reflection on the knoweldge that we learn, but it does not generate knowledge.
The knowledge about how the Universe works comes from Science.
The Philosophers can talk about it and think about all they want and maybe even add insight, but at the end of the day they don't generate knowledge. In this sense, once Philosophy became divorced from Science...i.e. once Philosophy separated out on it's own, Science became Natural Science and Philosophy remained Philosophy. At this point Philosophy started becoming marginalized and it's been more and more marginalized ever since.
Of course Philosophers are not thrilled with this fact, but it's just a fact.
What knowledge about Climate Change and Climate Change data has philosophy brought to us? None that I can think of.
I had fun reading this, but an anti-philosophy rant is completely out of place here. It doesn't follow from or refute anything I've said. It doesn't support your own arguments. If it was meant to make you look knowledgeable, it doesn't even do that (most of it is wrong).
What you've actually done is pretty impressive in its own way. You've deflected away from the topic, written mostly incoherent nonsense and disparaged Neil deGrasse Tyson, who you were meant to be defending, all within the space of a single post.
Remember, the point of discussion is that scientists are only equipped to act as authorities on science, not philosophy.
Last edited by Hightower72; 03-13-2018 at 04:17 PM..
Anyway Neil is correct in everything he stated about Climate deniers inability to understand what empirical truths are and how they are established.
I suggest you take your anti-science rant to the Philosophy forum. This is the Science forum not the Anti-Science forum.
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