Skip to main content

A Prolegomenon to an Interrogative Theory of Scientific Inquiry

  • Chapter
Questions

Part of the book series: Synthese Language Library ((SLAP,volume 1))

Abstract

The attempts at presenting the methodology of science as razor-sharp decision-procedures, which arose with the philosophical union of logic and espistemology, has carved science as scientists know it out of inquiry. Rarely are philosophers concerned with the design of methodological standards for other than the testing of special classes of theories. Even rarer is the philosopher who is willing to look beyond codifications of the intellectual history of scientific successes to the very messy guts of theory construction or scientific communication and dialogue. My argument here is that we need a new program for discussing and analyzing the methodology of science, a program based on an “interrogative theory of scientific inquiry”. As an added bonus, I expect that this theory will also provide grounds for the inclusion of significantly broader classes of questions in the scope of science that those circumscribed by the abbreviated playing field of current dogmas.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Bibliography

  1. Ackoff, Russel L.: 1962, Scientific Method ( New York: John Wiley).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ackoff, Russel L. and Fred E. Emery: 1972, On Purposeful Systems ( Chicago: Aldine).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Apostel, Leo: 1971, ‘Further Remarks on the Pragmatics of Natural Languages’. In Y. Bar-Hillel (ed.), Pragmatics of Natural Languages ( Dordrecht: R. Reidel ), 1–34.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Åqvist, Lennart: 1965, A New Approach to the Logical Theory of Interrogatives, Part I: Analysis ( Uppsala: The Philosophical Society Series).

    Google Scholar 

  5. 1972, ‘On the Analysis and Logic of Questions’. In R. E. Olson and A. M. Paul (eds.), Contemporary Philposophy in Scandinavia (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press), 27–39.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Aristotle: 1960 ed., Posterior Analytics. In Hugh Tredennick and E. S. Forster (translators), Aristotle, Posterior Analytics and Topica ( Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press ), 1–261.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bach, Emmon: 1971, ‘Questions’, Linguistic Inquiry 2, 153–166.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Belnap, Nuel D., Jr.: 1963, An Analysis of Questions: Preliminary Report Technical Memorandum ( Santa Monica: System Development Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  9. 1966, ‘Questions, Answers, and Presuppositions’ The Journal of Philosophy 63, 609–611.

    Google Scholar 

  10. 1966a, ‘Åqvist’s Correction-Accumulating Question-Sequences’. in J. W. Davis et al., Philosophical Logic(Dordrecht: D. Reidel), 122–134.

    Google Scholar 

  11. 1969b, ‘Questions: Their Presuppositions, and How They Can Fail to Arise’. In K. Lambert (Ed.), The Logical Way of Doing Things (New Haven: Yale University Press), 23–37.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bolinger, Dwight: 1957, Interrogative Structures of American English. Publication No. 28, American Dialect Society (University of Alabama Press).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bromberger, Sylvain: 1963, ‘A Theory about the Theory of Theory and about the Theory of Theories’. In B. Baumrin (ed.), Philosophy of Science, The Delaware Seminar, II (New York: John Wiley ), 79–105.

    Google Scholar 

  14. 1965, ‘An Approach to Explanation’. In R. J. Butler (ed.), Analytical Philosophy, 2nd Series (Oxford: Basil Blackwell).

    Google Scholar 

  15. 1966a, ‘Questions’, The Journal of Philosophy, LXIII, 597–606.

    Google Scholar 

  16. 1966b, ‘Why-questions’ In R. G. Colodny (ed.) Mind and Cosmos(Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press), 86–111

    Google Scholar 

  17. 1971, Science and the Forms of Ignorance’. In E. Nagel, S. Bromberger, and A. Grunbaum, Observation and Theory in Science (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press), 45–67

    Google Scholar 

  18. Burns, Arther F. and Wesley C. Mitchell: 1946. Measuring Business Cycles, Studies in Business Cycles, No. 2 ( New York: National Bureau of Economic Research ).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Churchman, C. West: 1971, The Design of Inquiring Systems ( New York: Basic Books).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Collingwood, R. G.: 1940, An Essay on Metaphysics ( Oxford: The Clarendon Press).

    Google Scholar 

  21. van Dijk, Teun A.: 1972, Some Aspects of Text Grammars ( The Hague: Mouton).

    Google Scholar 

  22. 1973a, ‘Pragmatics, Presuppositions and Context Grammars’. Mimeo, University of Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  23. 1973b, ‘Text Grammar and Text Logic’. In J. S. Petofi and H. Reiser (eds.), Studies in Text Grammar (Dordrecht: D. Reidel), 17–78.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Fann, K. T.: 1910, Peirce’s Theory of Abduction ( The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Feyerabend, Paul K.: 1965, ‘Problems of Empiricism’. In R. G. Colodny (ed.), Beyond the Edge of Certainty ( Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall ).

    Google Scholar 

  26. 1970, ‘Problems of Empiricism, Part II’ In R. G. Colodny (ed.), The Nature and Function of Scientific Theories (Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press), 275–353.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Fischer, David Hackett: 1970, Historians’ Fallacies ( New York: Harper Torchbook).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Gale, Stephen: 1972, ‘On the Heterodoxy of Explanation: A Review of David Harvey’s Explanation in Geography’, Geographical Analysis 4, 285–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. 1975, ‘More on Models of Residential Change’. In L. A. Kosinski and R. M. Prothero (eds.), People on the Move (London: Methuen).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Hamblin, C. L.: 1971, ‘Mathematical Models of Dialogue’, Theoria, xxxvii, Part 2,130–155.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Hanson, Norwood Russell: 1965. Patterns of Discovery ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Harrah, David: 1963, Communication: A Logical Model ( Cambridge, Mass.: The M.I.T. Press).

    Google Scholar 

  33. 1969a, ‘On Completeness in the Logic of Questions’, American Philosophical Quarterly 6, 158–164.

    Google Scholar 

  34. 1969b, ‘Erotetic Logistics’. In K. Lambert (ed.), The Logical Way og Doing Things (New Haven: Yale University Press), 3–21.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Harris, Zellig S.: 1952, ‘Discourse Analysis’, Language 28, 1–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. 1968, Mathematical Structures in Language (New York: Academic Press).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Hempel, Carl G.: 1965, Aspects of Scientific Explanation ( New York: The Free Press).

    Google Scholar 

  38. Hintikka, Jaakko: 1974, ‘Questions about Questions’. In M. K. Munitz (ed.), Existence and Logic ( New York: New York University Press ).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Hiż, Henry: 1962, ‘Questions and Answers’, Journal of Philosophy, LIX, 253–265.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Hoenig, Lawrence M.: n.d., The Study of Questions — A Comparison of Two Approaches. Unpublished M.A. thesis (Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania).

    Google Scholar 

  41. Isard, S. and H. C. Longuet-Higgins: 1971, ‘Question-answering in English’, Machine Intelligence 6, 243–254.

    Google Scholar 

  42. John, E. R. and J. G. Miller: 1957, ‘The Aquisition and Application of Information in the Problem-Solving Process’, Behavioral Science, II, 291–300.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Katz, Jerrold J.: 1972, Semantic Theory ( New York: Harper & Row).

    Google Scholar 

  44. Keenan, Edward L.: 1973, ‘Presupposition in Natural Logic’, The Monist 57, 344–370.

    Google Scholar 

  45. 1974, ‘Logical Presupposition in Natural Languages’. In C. H. Heidrich (ed.) Semantics and Communication (Amsterdam: North-Holland), 229–250.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Kleene, Stephen Cole: 1952, Introduction toMetamathematics (Princeton: van Nostrand).

    Google Scholar 

  47. Kleiner, Scott A.: 1970, ‘Erotetic Logic and the Structure of Scientific Revolution’, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 21, 149–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Koopmans, Tjalling C.: 1947, ‘Measurement without Theory’, The Review of Economic Statistics, xxix, 161–172.

    Google Scholar 

  49. 1949, ‘Methodological Issues in Quantitative Economics: A Reply’, The Review of Economic Statistics, xxxi, 86–91.

    Google Scholar 

  50. 1957, ‘The Interaction of Tools and Problems in Economics’. In T. C. Koopmans, Three Essay on the State of Economic Science(New York: McGraw-Hill) 167–220

    Google Scholar 

  51. Körner, Stephen: 1966, Experience and Theory ( New York: Humanities Press).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Kuhns, J. L.: 1967, Answering Questions by Computer: A Logical Study. Paper RM—5428—PR ( Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  53. Kuhns, J. L.: 1969, Logical Aspects of Question-Answering by Computer. Paper P–4251 ( Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  54. Lakoff, George: 1970, ‘Linguistics and Natural Logic’, Synthese 22, 151–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Lakoff, Robin: 1973, ‘Questionable Answers and Answerable Questions’. In B. B. Kachru et al. (eds.), Issues in Linguistics: Papers in Honor of Henry and Renee Kahane ( Urbana: University of Illinois Press ), 453–467.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Lang, Ranier: 1970, Enga Questions: Structural and Semantic Studies. Ph.D. Thesis, Australian National University.

    Google Scholar 

  57. Langacker, Ronald W.: 1974, ‘The Question of Q’, Foundations of Language 11, 1–37.

    Google Scholar 

  58. Leonard, Henry S.: 1967 ed., Principles of Reasoning ( New York: Dover).

    Google Scholar 

  59. Levien, R. E.: 1966, Relational Data File II. Implementation. Paper P–3411 ( Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  60. 1969, Relational Data File: Experience with a System for Propositional Data Storage and Inference Execution. Paper RM—5947—PR (Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  61. Levien, R. E. and M. E. Maron: 1965, Relational Data File: A Tool for Mechanized Inference Execution and Data Retrieval. Paper RM—4739—PR ( Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  62. 1967, ‘A Computer System for Inference Execution and Data Retrieval’, Communications of the ACM 10, 715–721.

    Google Scholar 

  63. Lyons, John: 1969, Introduction to Theoretical Linguistics ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  64. Maron, M. E.: 1966, Relational Data File I: Design Philosophy. Paper P–3408 ( Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation).

    Google Scholar 

  65. McGawley, James D.: 1971, ‘A Program for Logic’, in D. Davidson and G. Harman (eds.), Semantics of Natural Language ( Dordrecht: D. Reidel ).

    Google Scholar 

  66. Olsson, Gunnar: 1974, Birds in Egg. Manuscript, Michigan Geographic Publication No. 15. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan.

    Google Scholar 

  67. Pawtowski, Tadeusz: 1968, ‘Theory of Questions and its Applications to the Social Sciences’, The Polish Sociological Bulletin 2, 95–109.

    Google Scholar 

  68. Peirce, Charles Saunders: 1965 ed., Collected Papers of Charles Saunders Peirce: Volume V. Pragmatism and Pragmaticism, C. Hartshorne and P. Weiss, editors ( Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  69. Perelman, Ch. and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca: 1969, The New Rhetoric: A Treatise on Argumentation, J. Wilkinson and P. Weaver, translators ( Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press).

    Google Scholar 

  70. Popper, Karl R.: 1972, Objective Knowledge ( Oxford: The Clarendon Press).

    Google Scholar 

  71. Prior, Mary and Arthur Prior: 1955, ‘Erotetic Logic’, The Philosophical Review, LXIV, 43–59.

    Google Scholar 

  72. Przelecki, Marian: 1969, The Logic of Empirical Theories ( London: Routledge and Kegan Paul).

    Google Scholar 

  73. Rescher, Nicholas: 1970, Scientific Explanation ( New York: The Free Press).

    Google Scholar 

  74. Searle, John R.: 1969, Speech Acts ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  75. Singer, E. A., Jr.: 1959, Experience and Reflection, C. West Churchman, editor ( Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press).

    Google Scholar 

  76. Smaby, Richard: 1974, ‘Consequence, Presupposition, and Coreference’. Mimeo, Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania.

    Google Scholar 

  77. Stalnaker, Robert C.: 1970, ‘Pragmatics’, Synthese 22, 272–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  78. Suppe, Frederick: 1974, ‘The Search for Philosophic Understanding of Scientific Theories’. In F. Suppe (ed.), The Structure of Scientific Theories ( Urbana: University of Illinois Press ), 3–232.

    Google Scholar 

  79. Suppes, Patrick: 1962, ‘Models of Data’. In E. Nagel, P. Suppes, and A. Tarski (eds.), Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science: Proceedings of the I960 International Congress (Stanford: Stanford University Press),252–261.

    Google Scholar 

  80. Suszko, Roman: 1965, ‘Formal Logic and the Development of Knowledge’. In I. Lakotos and A. Musgrave (eds.), Problems in the Philosophy of Science 3 ( Amsterdam: North- Holland ), 210–222.

    Google Scholar 

  81. Teller, Paul: 1974, ‘On Why-Questions’, Noûs 8, 371–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Tondl, Ladislav: 1969, ‘Logical-Semantical Analysis of the Question and the Problem of Scientific Explanation’. In Akten des XIV Internationalen Kongresses fur Philosophie III ( Vienna: Verlag Herder ), 23–24.

    Google Scholar 

  83. 1970, ‘Semantics of the Question in a Problem Solving Situation’, Problems of the Science of Science (special issue of the quarterly), 79–101.

    Google Scholar 

  84. Toulmin, Stephen: 1969 ed., The Uses of Argument ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).

    Google Scholar 

  85. Tuomela, Raimo: 1973. Theoretical Concepts ( New York: Springer-Verlag).

    Google Scholar 

  86. Ultan, Russell: 1969, ‘Some General Characteristics of Interrogative Systems’. Working Paper No. 1, Papers on Language Universals (Stanford University).

    Google Scholar 

  87. Vining, Rutledge: 1949, ‘Methodological Issues in Quantitative Economics: Koopmans on the Choice of Variables to be Studied and of Methods of Measurement’, The Review of Economic Statistics, xxxi, 77–86.

    Google Scholar 

  88. 1949, ‘Methodological Issues in Quantitative Economics: A Rejoinder’, The Review of Economic Statistics, xxxi, 91–94.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1978 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gale, S. (1978). A Prolegomenon to an Interrogative Theory of Scientific Inquiry. In: Hiż, H. (eds) Questions. Synthese Language Library, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9509-3_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9509-3_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-277-1035-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-9509-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics