Open AccessThe Semantic View, Empirical Adequacy, and Application
Author(s) -
Mauricio Suárez
Publication year - 2005
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.101
H-Index - 6
ISSN - 1870-4905
DOI - 10.22201/iifs.18704905e.2005.449
Subject(s) - explanatory power , empirical research , domain (mathematical analysis) , epistemology , domain theory , computer science , philosophy , mathematics , mathematical analysis , discrete mathematics
It is widely accepted in contemporary philosophy of science that the domain of application of a theory is typically larger than its explanatory covering power: theories can be applied to phenomena that they do not explain. I argue for an analogous thesis regarding the notion of empirical adequacy. A theory’s domain of application is typically larger than its domain of empirical adequacy: theories are often applied to phenomena from which they receive no empirical confirmation.