UGEB 2836

Criteria for a Good Scientific Theory

1. Testability or Falsifiable (Necessary Condition!)
2. Fruitfulness, or Predictability
3. Scope, or Comprehensiveness
4. Simplicity, or Economy
5. Conservatism, or Consistency with Existing Theories

T. Schick, Jr./L. Vaughn, How to Think about Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age,
4th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005, chap. 7.
§ Deductive-Nomological Model

Premise 1: Law
Premise 2: Conditions .
Conclusion: Prediction/ Explanation

！
PREDICTION EXPLANATION

1. -
2. –
Law 1
Law 2
Law 3
Conditions .
Explanation
Three Possible Cases:
1. The Law(s) is/are wrong!
2. The Conditions were not fulfilled
3. Both 1 & 2
 .

。
1.
2.
 Ad Hoc (to this)

LAW Law

P7
P6
P2
P5 P4 P
P1 P3
Not Good
Good
Quarks Model
Lesser is Better
§Lesser number of entities
 15
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/realtime/international/20160702/55304662

15
（
H1 or H2?
y
H1
x

x H2
x
x

x
 Γ p
Given that Γ, q are not contraction.
(Γ & q) p

Theory A Theory B Theory C

Apollo Main-sequence Star

Auguste Comte’s The law of the three stages

1. The Theological stage

2. The Metaphysical stage 》
3. The Positivity stage 】

Weber: “disenchantment of the world”

 《 1799
）
…...
‧

(WIKI)
Vitalists believe that living
organisms are different from non-
living things because they contain
some non-physical element (vital
force) or they are governed by
different principles than that of
inanimate objects.
 Do not contain vital force

Contain vital force

、
 1824
；
；
，
； 1828
】

【 Friedrich Wöhler