eprintid: 18500
rev_number: 18
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1736
dir: disk0/00/01/85/00
datestamp: 2015-03-25 14:53:43
lastmod: 2024-04-27 22:41:47
status_changed: 2015-03-25 14:53:43
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Apel, Jochen
title: On the meaning and the epistemological relevance of the notion of a scientific phenomenon
subjects: ddc-100
divisions: i-70100
abstract: In this paper I offer an appraisal of James Bogen and James Woodward’s distinction between data and phenomena which pursues two objectives. First, I aim to clarify the notion of a scientific phenomenon. Such a clarification is required because despite its intuitive plausibility it is not exactly clear how Bogen and Woodward’s distinction has to be understood. I reject one common interpretation of the distinction, endorsed for example by James McAllister and Bruce Glymour, which identifies phenomena with patterns in data sets. Furthermore, I point out that other interpretations of Bogen and Woodward’s distinction do not specify the relationship between phenomena and theories in a satisfying manner. In order to avoid this problem I propose a contextual understanding of scientific phenomena according to which phenomena are states of affairs which play specific roles in scientific practice and to which we adopt a special epistemic attitude. Second, I evaluate the epistemological significance of Bogen and Woodward’s distinction with respect to the debate between scientific realists and constructive empiricists. Contrary to what Bogen and Woodward claim, I argue that the distinction does not provide a convincing argument against constructive empiricism.
date: 2011
publisher: Springer
id_scheme: DOI
ppn_swb: 1655700499
own_urn: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-185006
language: eng
bibsort: APELJOCHENONTHEMEANI2011
full_text_status: public
publication: Synthese
volume: 182
pagerange: 23-38
issn: 0039-7857
citation:   Apel, Jochen  (2011) On the meaning and the epistemological relevance of the notion of a scientific phenomenon.  Synthese, 182.  pp. 23-38.  ISSN 0039-7857     
document_url: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/18500/1/On%20the%20meaning%20and%20the%20epistemological%20relevance%20of%20the%20notion%20of%20a%20scientific%20phenomenon.pdf