Teach Time Encyclopedia - Learn About Our World
Home Page
Teach Time
Featured Topics

United States
by state

CITYology

Academic Disciplines

Historical Timelines

Themed Timelines

Calendars

Reference Tables

Biographies

How-tos



Friday, July 25, 2008

Ontological relativity

The premise of ontological relativity (or the Quine-Duhem thesis) is that all theories (and the propositions derived from them) of what exists are not sufficiently determined by empirical data (data, sensory-data, evidence); each theory with its interpretation of the evidence is equally justifiable. Thus, the Greek's worldview of Homeric gods is as credible as the physicists' world of electromagnetic waves. This theory in the philosophy of science was first posited by Pierre Duhem and developed later by W. V. Quine.

While ontological relativity does not invalidate the principle of falsifiability first presented by Karl Popper, Popper himself acknowledged that continual ad hoc modification of a theory provides a means for a theory to avoid being falsified. In this respect, the principle of parsimony, or Occam's Razor, plays a role. This principle presupposes that between multiple theories explaining the same phenomenon, the simplest theory--in this case, the one that is least susceptible to continual ad hoc modification--is to be preferred.

External reference

W. V. Quine 1968 Ontological Relativity Available at http://www.unlv.edu/Colleges/Liberal_Arts/Philosophy/Ontological%20Relativity.htm


Internet Hotel Solutions

Site Sponsors
AC Units
Baltimore Harbor
Boot Camp Grads
Bra Size
Burkittsville
College Hotels
Digital Harbor
Free Cell Phones
Golden Hare Travel
Golf Vacations
Golf Courses
Gourmet
Hair Styles
Hippodrome
iWoman
Lesson Plans
Maryland Hotels
MD Genealogy
Minor League Stuff
Motel Site
Ocean City
OC Real Estate
Old Agers
Office Supplies
Orlando
Pet Friendly Hotel
Room Prices
Savannah, GA
Ski Vacations
South Baltimore
Student Teaching
Travel Sources
University Hotels
Visit Military Bases
Washington, DC

Brought to you by NoChildLeftBehind.com and the Beaches and Towns Network, LLC.