Truthlikeness: old and new debates

Synthese 197 (4):1581-1599 (2020)
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Abstract

The notion of truthlikeness or verisimilitude has been a topic of intensive discussion ever since the definition proposed by Karl Popper was refuted in 1974. This paper gives an analysis of old and new debates about this notion. There is a fairly large agreement about the truthlikeness ordering of conjunctive theories, but the main rival approaches differ especially about false disjunctive theories. Continuing the debate between Niiniluoto’s min-sum measure and Schurz’s relevant consequence measure, the paper also gives a critical assessment of Oddie’s new defense of the average measure and Kuipers’ refined definition of truth approximation.

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Author's Profile

Ilkka Niiniluoto
University of Helsinki

References found in this work

Conjectures and Refutations.K. Popper - 1963 - Les Etudes Philosophiques 21 (3):431-434.
Realism and the aim of science.Karl R. Popper - 1983 - New York: Routledge. Edited by William Warren Bartley.
Likeness to Truth.Graham Oddie - 1986 - Dordrecht and Boston: Reidel.
What is scientific progress?Alexander Bird - 2007 - Noûs 41 (1):64–89.
On Popper's definitions of verisimilitude.Pavel Tichý - 1974 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 25 (2):155-160.

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