Hypothesis and Principles

Abstract

A major part of the present chapter will be devoted to working out in useful detail the so-called ‘principle of coherence’ mentioned as an important aid in assessing the theory in Chapter III. Unless one begins with a grasp of the whole of the hypothesis which is being tested, one will be inadequately briefed on what sort of modifications are legitimate to make, in case the initial results are unfavourable. Moreover, the fact that the subsequent interpretations are not arbitrary, but strongly motivated by the coherence pattern, might not be apparent without preliminary exposition. I begin, however, with a few more general considerations.