What is the Relativity of Wrong?

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    Essay Relativity
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "The Relativity of Wrong," as presented in an essay by Isaac Asimov. Participants explore the implications of degrees of wrongness in scientific theories and the philosophical underpinnings of scientific progress. The conversation touches on the nature of scientific paradigms, the concept of truth in science, and the relationship between falsifiability and scientific claims.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants find the essay interesting and suggest it aligns with Bayesian Epistemology and Inference.
  • Others argue that the essay does not represent a scientific paradigm but rather presents a philosophical perspective on scientific truth and wrongness.
  • One participant challenges the idea that a "less-and-less wrong" approach can lead to a definitive truth, citing issues with falsification.
  • Another participant clarifies that not being falsified does not inherently indicate a problem with falsification.
  • There is a viewpoint that distinguishes between theories that cannot be falsified and those that are sufficiently accurate to be considered not false.
  • A later reply suggests that the discussion may not be appropriate for the forum, as it delves into philosophical issues rather than scientific discourse.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the essay and its implications for scientific discourse. There is no consensus on whether the concept of degrees of wrongness can be reconciled with scientific methodology or if it strays into philosophical territory.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the potential limitations of the essay's claims regarding truth and falsifiability, but these concerns remain unresolved within the discussion.

FallenApple
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I read the essay. It's a very interesting account of scientific progress. What type of scientific paradigm is this? It seems to have a very close feel to Bayesian Epistemology and/or Inference

Quote from Wiki

In the title essay, Asimov argues that there exist degrees of wrongness, and being wrong in one way is not necessarily as bad as being wrong in another way.
https://chem.tufts.edu/answersinscience/relativityofwrong.htm
 
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FallenApple said:
What type of scientific paradigm is this?
As far as I know it's no paradigm. It is just an essay, where the 'better-and-better' is displayed in inverse manner.

The 'less-and-less wrong' kind of indicates the existence of something 'finally it's no longer wrong' type of TRUTH. But any such truth would have serious problems with falsification, therefore it cannot be considered scientific any longer. Thus, the 'less-and-less wrong' is not really used seriously. What kind of science would tolerate a non-scientific target?
 
Rive said:
But any such truth would have serious problems with falsification, therefore it cannot be considered scientific any longer.
I think this is a misunderstanding. Not being falsified doesn’t mean that you have a problem with falsification.
 
I agree with Dale. There's a difference between not capable of being falsified versus accurate enough to say that it's not false.
 
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As this essay is really about the philosophy of science and we don't discuss philosophical issues here at PF. I say its time to close this thread.

Thank you all for contributing here.

Jedi
 

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