Nothing to disagree about: Aristotle, Newton, and the existence of void as seen through a Kuhnian lens

Hegger, Ian Michael

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/90499 Copy

Description

Title

Nothing to disagree about: Aristotle, Newton, and the existence of void as seen through a Kuhnian lens

Author(s)

Hegger, Ian Michael

Issue Date

2016-04-21

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Arana, Andrew

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Arana, Andrew

Committee Member(s)

• Weinberg, Shelley
• Waskan, Jonathan
• Livengood, Jonathan

Department of Study

Philosophy

Discipline

Philosophy

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Kuhn
• Incommensurability
• Scientific idealism
• Non-antirealism
• Aristotle
• Newton
• Void

Abstract

In this work, I argue that a doctrine of theoretic incommensurability, something like that offered by Thomas Kuhn, can be used to to explain the disagreement between Aristotle and Isaac Newton regarding the existence of void. A significant portion of the work is directed at identifying Kuhn’s mature conception of theoretic incommensurability and at diagnosing an apparently serious problem with the account, namely its susceptibility to the charge of epistemological relativism. To combat the charge, I develop an ontology and theory of cognition that can support the Kuhnian thesis without requiring one who prefers the view to accept a strong form of scientific relativism (i.e., scientific subjectivism). Nonetheless, enough conceptual freedom is left to substantiate the incommensurability thesis. Once I have shown that Kuhn's conception is sustainable, I put the theory into action. First, I present the views of both Aristotle and Newton on the existence of void. Then, I show that they diverge in exactly the way that leads to incommensurability according to the Kuhnian account. The end result is that both Aristotle and Newton are shown to have empirically acceptable positions even though they disagree.

Graduation Semester

2016-05

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90499

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Ian Hegger

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