Abstract
“Linearity” is the (unfortunate) jargon term for proper progression. Building a house normally starts from the foundation and progresses upwards. Linearity gains its respectability from science — by mistake. Progress in science is linear only locally: theories of gravity appear in succession, each built on its immediate predecessor. But different branches of science are not linear. A scientific theory unifies some theories and some observations, and gives rise to others. This too is not linear — it cannot possibly be.
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© 2003 Joseph Agassi
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Agassi, J. (2003). The Critique of Linearity. In: Science and Culture. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 231. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2946-8_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2946-8_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-6234-5
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-2946-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive