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Scientific Realism vs. Anti-Realism

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Ontic Structural Realism

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Ontic Structural Realism (OSR) suggests that it is structures, not objects, that are ontologically fundamental, supported by philosophers like Steven French and James Ladyman.

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Theory-Ladenness of Observation

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This is the argument that our observations are influenced by the theoretical lenses through which we view them, as suggested by philosophers such as Thomas Kuhn and Norwood Russell Hanson.

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Constructive Empiricism

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Championed by Bas van Fraassen, constructive empiricism suggests that scientific theories are only useful instruments for predicting observable phenomena, and that their truth is not to be equated with their empirical adequacy.

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Epistemic Structural Realism

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Epistemic Structural Realism (ESR), as endorsed by John Worrall, holds that we can know the structure of the world but not the nature of the underlying entities themselves.

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Entity Realism

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Defended by Ian Hacking and Nancy Cartwright, entity realism is the view that entities postulated by successful scientific theories are real, but the theories themselves need not be truly descriptive of those entities.

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Pessimistic Meta-induction

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An argument used by anti-realists, citing historical examples where scientific theories were ultimately proven wrong to cast doubt on the truth of current scientific theories. Larry Laudan is often associated with this argument.

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Semantic View of Theories

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The semantic view holds that the value of scientific theories lies in their models and the application of those models to phenomena, rather than in their linguistic description. Bas van Fraassen is one proponent of this view.

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Instrumentalism

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Instrumentalism is the stance that theories are merely tools for predicting observable phenomena and should not be taken as true descriptions of the world. Ernst Mach is a key proponent.

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Verificationism

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Verificationism is the theory of meaning which asserts that only statements that can be empirically verified or are tautological hold meaning, closely associated with the logical positivists like A.J. Ayer.

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Underdetermination of Theory by Data

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This thesis argues that empirical data may be insufficient to determine which theoretical model best explains the data, thus undercutting claims to theoretical truth. W.V.O. Quine and Pierre Duhem are often cited in relation to this argument.

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No Miracles Argument

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The no miracles argument posits that the success of science would be a 'miracle' if scientific theories were not at least approximately true about the world, indicating a realist perspective. It is often associated with Hilary Putnam.

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Empiricism

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Empiricism is the philosophical viewpoint that knowledge arises primarily from sensory experience. Prominent empiricists include John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.

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Realism about Theories

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This is the belief that theories describe not just phenomena but the underlying reality that causes them. Proponents like Richard Boyd argue that this is the best explanation for the success of science.

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Structural Realism

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Structural realism claims that, while we might not understand the nature of fundamental entities, the structure of the relationships between these entities is real. John Worrall and James Ladyman are key proponents of this view.

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Scientific Realism

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Scientific realism posits that the universe described by science is real regardless of how it may be interpreted. Key proponents include Wilfrid Sellars, Richard Boyd, and Stathis Psillos.

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