Induction, Physics and Ethics: Proceedings and Discussions of the 1968 Salzburg Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science

390 Pages·1970·14.925 MB·English

by  Bruno De Finetti (auth.), Paul Weingartner, Gerhard Zecha (eds.)

INDUCTION, PHYSICS, AND ETHICS
SYNTHESE LIBRARY
MONOGRAPHS ON EPISTEMOLOGY,
LOGIC, METHODOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE,
SOCIOLOGY OF SCIENCE AND OF KNOWLEDGE,
AND ON THE MATHEMATICAL METHODS OF
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Editors:
DONALD DAVIDSON, Princeton University
J AAKKO HINTIKKA, Academy of Finland and Stanford University
GABRIEL NUCHELMANS, University of Leyden
WESLEY C. SALMON, Indiana University
INDUCTION, PHYSICS,
AND ETHICS
PROCEEDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS OF
THE 1968 SALZBURG COLLOQUIUM IN THE
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Edited by
PAUL WEINGARTNER AND GERHARD ZECHA
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY /DORDRECHT-HOLLAND
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 78-118137
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-3307-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-3305-3
DOl: 10.1007/978-94-010-3305-3
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 1970 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1970
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm,
or any other means, without written permission from the publisher
PREFACE
This volume constitutes the Proceedings and Discussions of the 1968
Salzburg Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science. The Colloquium was
held at the Institut fUr Wissenschaftstheorie of the Internationales
Forschungszentrum fUr Grundfragen der Wissenschaften, Salzburg,
Austria, from August 28 to August 31, 1968, under the joint auspices of
the Division of Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science of the
International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, and the
Institut fur Wissenschaftstheorie of the Internationales Forschungs
zentrum, Salzburg.
The Colloquium was organized by an executive committee consisting
ofY. Bar-Hillel (President), M. Black, J. Hintikka, B. Juhos, M. Strauss,
and P. Weingartner (Secretary).
The Colloquium was generously subsidised by the International Union
of History and Philosophy of Science, and by the Internationales For
schungszentrum, Salzburg.
The Colloquium was divided into three main sections: Induction and
Probability (Chairman: 1. Hintikka), Foundations of Physics (Chairman:
M. Strauss), and Science and Ethics: The Moral Responsibility of the
Scientist (Chairman: M. Black).
This volume contains all papers presented at the Colloquium. Six of
those papers concerning Induction and Probability, have, with slight
changes, already been published in Synthese 20, 1969. Although the
articles of the section Science and Ethics were only read at the International
Congress of Philosophy in Vienna on September 3, 1968, the discussion
on them took place in Salzburg two days ago. This was possible, because
early drafts of all papers had been sent to each participant, in order to
prepare appropriate discussions.
The discussions, recorded by tape-recorder, have also been published
in this volume. Unfortunately, for reasons of space, some passages had
to be shortened, a few even omitted.
We are grateful to all the contributors for their kind cooperation,
VI PREFACE
particularly to those who thoroughly corrected the transcript of the dis
cussions. Our thanks are especially due to Professor Jaakko Hintikka
whose advice in all matters of editing this volume has been particularly
valuable.
THE EDITORS
Institut fur Wissenschaftstheorie,
Internationales Forschungszentrum
fur Grundfragen der Wissenschaften
Salzburg
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface V
List of Participants IX
SECTION 1/ INDUCTION AND PROBABILITY
B. DE FINETTI / Initial Probabilities: A Prerequisite for any Valid
Induction 3
I. J. GOOD / Discussion of Bruno de Finetti's Paper 'Initial Prob-
abilities: A Prerequisite for any Valid Induction' 18
DISCUSSION 26
I. HACKING / Linguistically Invariant Inductive Logic 33
I. LEvI/Comments on 'Linguistically Invariant Inductive Logic' by
Ian Hacking 56
DISCUSSION 64
H. VETTER / Logical Probability, Mathematical Statistics, and the
Problem of Induction 75
J. HINTIKKA / Statistics, Induction, and Lawlikeness: Comments
on Dr. Vetter's Paper 91
DISCUSSION 103
SECTION II/FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICS
E. SCHMUTZER / New Approach to Interpretation Problems of
General Relativity by Means of the Splitting-Up-Formalism of
Space-Time 121
A. GRUNBAUM and M. STRAUSS / Comments on Professor
Schmutzer's Paper 137
A. GRUNBAUM / Simultaneity by Slow Clock Transport in the
Special Theory of Relativity 140
DISCUSSION 167
VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS
H. J. GROENEWOLD / Foundations of Quantum Theory; Statistical
Interpretation (Introductory talk) 180
H. MARGENAU / Comments on H. J. Groenewold 'Foundations of
Quantum Theory' 200
DISCUSSION 202
M. STRA USS / Intertheory Relations 220
M. BUNGE / Problems Concerning Intertheory Relations 285
DISCUSSION 316
SECTION III / SCIENCE AND ETHICS:
THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCIENTIST
K. POPPER / The Moral Responsibility of the Scientist 329
A. MERCIER / Science and Responsibility 337
H. HORZ / The Relation of Modern Scientific Conceptions to the
Human Image 343
v. F. WEISSKOPF / Science and Ethics 350
J. OREAR / Scientists and Ethics - A Case History 356
H. J. GROENEWOLD / Modern Science and Social Responsibility 359
DISCUSSION 367
INDEX OF NAMES 379
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Yehoshua Bar-Hillel, Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science,
Univeristy of Jerusalem, Israel. Former President, International Union
for History and Philosophy of Science.
Max Black, Professor of Philosophy, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.,
U.S.A. Director, the Society for the Humanities.
Mario Bunge, Professor of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal,
Canada.
Peter J. Caws, Professor of Philosophy, The City University of New York,
U.S.A.
Bruno de Finetti, Professor of Mathematics, University of Rome, Italy.
Dagfinn F011esdal, Professor of Philosophy, University of Oslo, Norway;
Stanford University, U.S.A.
Gerhard Frey, Professor of Philosophy, University ofInnsbruck, Austria.
I. Jack Good, Professor of Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute,
Blacksburg, U.S.A.
H. J. Groenewold, Professor of Theoretical Physics, State University of
Groningen, The Netherlands.
Adolf Griinbaum, Professor of Philosophy, University of Pittsburgh,
U.S.A. President, Philosophy of Science Association.
Ian Hacking, University of Cambridge, England; then (1968) Makerere
University, Kampala, Uganda.
Jaakko K. Hintikka, Professor of Philosophy, Stanford University,
U.S.A.; University of Helsinki, Finland. Vice President, The Associa
tion of Symbolic Logic.
Herbert Harz, Professor of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universitat, Berlin,
D.D.R.
Bela Juhos, Professor of Philosophy, University of Vienna, Austria.
J. Kalckar, Professor of Physics, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen,
Denmark.
Franz v. Kutschera, Professor of Philosophy, University of Regensburg,
B.R.D.
x LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Werner Leinfellner, Professor of Philosophy, University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, U.S.A.
Isaac Levi, Professor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, U.S.A.
Gunther Ludwig, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Mar
burg, B.R.D.
Henry Margenau, Professor of Physics and Natural Philosophy, Yale
University, New Haven, U.S.A.
Andre Mercier, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Bern,
Switzerland.
Jay Orear, Professor of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A.
Sir Karl Raimund Popper, Professor of Logic and Scientific Method.
University of London, England.
Heinz R. Post, Lecturer of History and Philosophy of Science, Chelsea
College of Science and Technology, University of London, England.
Edward Poznanski, Professor of Philosophy, The Hebrew University,
Jerusalem, Israel.
Erhard Scheibe, Professor of Philosophy, University of Gottingen, B.R.D.
Ernst Schmutzer, Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Jena,
D.D.R.
Martin Strauss, Professor of Pure Mathematics, Deutsche Akademie der
Wissenschaften Berlin, D.D.R.
Hftkan Tornebohm, Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of
Goteborg, Sweden.
Hermann Vetter, Dozent of Foundations of Social Sciences, University
of Mannheim, B.R.D.
Paul Weingartner, Professor of Philosophy, University of Salzburg and
Institut fiir Wissenschaftstheorie, Internationales Forschungszentrum
Salzburg, Austria.
Viktor F. Weisskopf, Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, U.S.A.