Abstract
I shall focus on the question whether we ever need to assume the very theory to be tested or one of its rivals in order to interpret an experimental result as a test of the theory. In terms of the set of theses being tested, the thesis to be examined is that:
The appraisal of a theory is based on phenomena which can be detected and measured without using assumptions drawn from the theory under examination (T2.5).
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Laymon, R. (1988). The Michelson-Morley Experiment and the Appraisal of Theories. In: Donovan, A., Laudan, L., Laudan, R. (eds) Scrutinizing Science. Synthese Library, vol 193. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2855-8_12
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