Explanatory Stabilization in Situations of Evidential Uncertainty

TY - JOUR

T1 - Explanatory Stabilization in Situations of Evidential Uncertainty

AU - Schindler, Samuel

PY - 2025/1/1

Y1 - 2025/1/1

N2 - In this article I issue a challenge to what I call the Independence Thesis of Theory Assessment (ITTA). According to ITTA, the evidence for (or against) a theory must be assessed independently from the theory explaining the evidence. I argue that ITTA is undermined by cases of evidential uncertainty, in which scientists have been guided by the explanatory power of their theories in the assessment of the evidence. Instead, I argue, these cases speak in favor of a model of theory assessment in which explanatory power may indeed contribute to the stabilization of the evidential basis.

AB - In this article I issue a challenge to what I call the Independence Thesis of Theory Assessment (ITTA). According to ITTA, the evidence for (or against) a theory must be assessed independently from the theory explaining the evidence. I argue that ITTA is undermined by cases of evidential uncertainty, in which scientists have been guided by the explanatory power of their theories in the assessment of the evidence. Instead, I argue, these cases speak in favor of a model of theory assessment in which explanatory power may indeed contribute to the stabilization of the evidential basis.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85209082252&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/psa.2024.26

DO - 10.1017/psa.2024.26

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0031-8248

VL - 92

SP - 204

EP - 222

JO - Philosophy of Science

JF - Philosophy of Science

IS - 1

ER -