Work

Can We Test Inconsistent Empirical Theories?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Despite the logical possibility and alleged existence of inconsistent empirical theories, the problem of their testability remains largely unexplored. I develop a testability criterion which makes some of these theories testable, including some observationally inconsistent ones. However, they are not rejectable qua inconsistent by this criterion. These results, while opening the domain of scientific theories to inconsistent ones, challenge the prospects of dialetheism in the philosophy of science.

Source: Logic and Logical Philosophy

DOI: 10.12775/llp.2025.011

Author: Luis Felipe Bartolo Alegre

Institutions: National University of San Marcos, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

Language: English

Topic: Philosophy, Science, and History

Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst

OpenAlex ID: W4410754746

FWCI:

Cites: 44

Cited by:

Related to: 10