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General procedures of empirical science

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  1. Strictly spoken, the introduction of subconscious perceptions itself is an example of amodel, which we use in order to describe in a simple way complicated complexes of conscious perceptions. The former ones have a function somewhat analogous to the “improper elements” used in mathematics.

  2. For the sake of simplicity we shall retain the term “experiences” also, when “recollections of experiences” would be more correct.

  3. Cf. G. Mannoury “Relativisme en Dialektiek (Bussum, 1946) in voceAandachtssfeer (Sphere of attention).

  4. Synthese, Volume V, September–October 1946, pp. 201–208.

  5. “Methodologisches und Philosophisches zur Elementarmathematik” (Haarlem, 1909); “Mathesis en Mystiek” (Amsterdam, 1925; French edit.: “Les deux pôles de l'esprit”, Paris, 1933); “Signifische Grundlagen der Mathematik” (Erkenntnis IV, 1934); Psikologia analizo de la matematika pensmaniero” (Synthese II, 1937); “Relativisme en Dialektiek. Schema ener filosofisch-sociologische grondslagenleer” (Bussum, 1946; with synopsis in Engl., Russ., Esperanto).

  6. Erkenntnis IV, 1934, p. 332–334.

  7. A very sound criticism of Eddington and Jeans from a somewhat different point of view was given by Susan Stebbing, “Science and the Philosopher”, although it must be said that she did not always do full justice to Eddington's sense of humour and his brilliant rhetorics.

  8. This well-known “proof” runs as follows. Terrestial matter can have the properties: hot, cold, wet and dry. Out of these 4 properties 6 paris can be formed. Two of these pairs, viz hot and cold, and wet and dry are impossible combinations. The four remaining pairs correspond with the four elements: cold and dry is Earth, cold and wet is Water, hot and wet is Air and hot and dry is Fire. These elements have “natural motions” by which they strive to attain their “natural places”, Earth moves downwards towards the worldcentre. Fire upwards towards the outer world-sphere and the two other ones take their places between them. These natural motions are rectilinear. All curvilinear motions of the terrestrial elements are “forced motions”. Natural motions go on untill the natural places are reached. The stars, however, have circular motions. They cannot be forced because they don't end, but go on for ever. Hence there must be a fifth element, of which the moonsphere and the stars consist, having a natural motion which is circular. This is called the “aether” or quinta essentia. (Cf e.g. E. J. Dijksterhuis) Val en Worp, 1924, p. 8).

  9. In the spaces between the planetary orbits the regular bodies can be arranged. The number of these is proved to be five in Euclidean geometry. Hence there must be five interplanatory spaces, hence six planets. Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and the planetoids had not yet been discovered in Kepler's time. Nevertheless Kepler who had a strong empiristic conscience, later abandoned this theory because of a difference of about 7 arc-minutes between his calculations and observation.

  10. R. Carnap, The foundations of logic and mathematics, International Encyclopedia of Unified Science, Vol. 1, Nr. 3: “The development of physics. ... has more and more led to that method in the construction, testing, and application (!!) of physical theories, which we callformalization, i.e. the construction of a calculus, supplement by an interpretation” (p. 67); “...as a system of “knowledge” in our terminology: as an interpreted system” (p. 50).

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Van Dantzig, D. General procedures of empirical science. Synthese 5, 441–455 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02267717

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02267717

Keywords

  • General Procedure
  • Empirical Science