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Social construction, natural science. Kareem Khalifa Philosophy Department Middlebury College. Overview. Hacking’s Central Point Contingency Convergence Objection Nominalism Explanations of stability. I. Hacking’s Central Point. II. Contingency. Constructing quarks No Predetermination
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Social construction, natural science Kareem Khalifa Philosophy Department Middlebury College
Overview • Hacking’s Central Point • Contingency • Convergence Objection • Nominalism • Explanations of stability
II. Contingency • Constructing quarks • No Predetermination • “Alien Science”
A less technical example ofII.C.3.a • Fido is a dog. • All dogs are mammals. • All mammals are warm-blooded. • So Fido is warm-blooded • Fido is an organism that never changes color when we aliens see him. • All organisms that never change color when we aliens see them are warm-blooded. • So Fido is warm-blooded.
III. Convergence Objection • The Objection • Hacking’s Response • Small-Scale • Big-Scale • Unique-Ultimate
IV. Nominalism • What is it? • Critics of constructionism
Inherent-structurism Nominalism Tree Research Program A Research Program B Organic cone
V. Explanations of stability • Stability • The Debate