Q&A: The Argument from Success as Supporting Scientific Realism
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Argument from Success as Supporting Scientific Realism
Question
With God’s help
What does the Rabbi think of Yemima Ben Menachem’s counterargument to the argument from the success and miracle of science against scientific realism? (And indirectly, of continuing to hold on to pragmatic truth.)
Answer
I’m not familiar with the argument or the counterargument.
Discussion on Answer
Too brief. It reminds me of my own argument. See here:
The argument is that the probability of extending the line through the simple point is negligible, because if we maintain that the laws of nature only serve as a convenient way to organize the data, then theoretically any other point is possible.
And if that’s the case, there is no reason to assume that the scientific enterprise would succeed at all.