A revolution without tooth and claw-redefining the physical base units.
Stud Hist Philos Sci
; 46: 85-93, 2014 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25051876
ABSTRACT
A case study is presented of a recent proposal by the major metrology institutes to redefine four of the physical base units, namely kilogram, ampere, mole, and kelvin. The episode shows a number of features that are unusual for progress in an objective science for example, the progress is not triggered by experimental discoveries or theoretical innovations; also, the new definitions are eventually implemented by means of a voting process. In the philosophical analysis, I will first argue that the episode provides considerable evidence for confirmation holism, i.e. the claim that central statements in fundamental science cannot be tested in isolation; second, that the episode satisfies many of the criteria which Kuhn requires for scientific revolutions even though one would naturally classify it as normal science. These two observations are interrelated since holism can provide within normal science a possible source of future revolutionary periods.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Filosofia
/
Física
/
Sistema Internacional de Unidades
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Stud Hist Philos Sci
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article