The Theoretical and Empirical Aspects of Science

Publisher Summary This chapter considers several significant theoretical and empirical aspects of science. The chapter describes a simplified version of science and the relationship between empirical and theoretical aspects of science, on the simplifying assumption that these two aspects refer only to single scientific theories. This interconnection between the empirical and theoretical aspects of a theory has several implications that may be of interest in the context of discussion. One of these implications points to the legitimacy of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical investigations, no matter what any verifiability theory of meaning may adduce against such legitimacy. Another implication shows the legitimacy of several unorthodox interpretations of quantum theory that disagree with the Copenhagen interpretation. The three components of a scientific theory (T), which make up its theoretical aspect can be designated as (a) the mathematical formalism of T, (b) the logical formalism of T, and (c) the metaphysical formalism of T.