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María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz1
1 Institute for Philosophical Research-UNAMWith support of UNAM-PAPIIT projects
PAPIIT IN 403719 “Intensionalidad hasta el final: un nuevo plan para la relevancia lógica” and PAPIIT IG400219 “Conciencia y normatividad”
June 3, 2019UNAM
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding? A response to Batens
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Aim
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding?
Yes.
What is the role of scientific understanding when explaining the tolerance of defectiveness in the
sciences?
It could be explanatory as to why and how scientists tolerate certain defects in their day-to-day practice
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Aim
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding?
Yes.
What is the role of scientific understanding when explaining the tolerance of defectiveness in the
sciences?
It could be explanatory as to why and how scientists tolerate certain defects in their day-to-day practice
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Plan
Scientific Understanding
(Batens-ian) Preliminaries
Knowledge & Understanding
Understanding defectiveness: contradictions
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
(1991)Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models
… to hierarchical models of science, ourscientific knowledge (…) forms aknowledge system that has twoproperties: (i) it is stratified, and (ii) theitems of some layer are or should bejustified in terms of items of a higherlayer.
(Batens, 1991: 1999)
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models
… to hierarchical models of science, ourscientific knowledge (…) forms aknowledge system that has twoproperties: (i) it is stratified, and (ii) theitems of some layer are or should bejustified in terms of items of a higherlayer.
(Batens, 1991: 1999)
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models
(Jeanne Dalya, Karen Willisb, Rhonda Smalla, JulieGreenc, Nicky Welchd, Michelle Kealya, EmmaHughes; 2006: 45)
(i) it is stratifiedCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Examples
(Jeanne Dalya, Karen Willisb, Rhonda Smalla, JulieGreenc, Nicky Welchd, Michelle Kealya, EmmaHughes; 2006: 45)
(i) it is stratifiedCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Examples
Belief
Knowledge
True Belief
Justified True Belief
Preliminaries
ScUnderstanding
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
(i) it is stratifiedCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Examples
Discovery
Justification Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
(i) it is stratifiedCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Pursuit
Discovery
Justification
(Laudan, 1980)
Examples
(i) it is stratifiedCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models
… to hierarchical models of science, ourscientific knowledge (…) forms aknowledge system that has twoproperties: (i) it is stratified, and (ii) theitems of some layer are or should bejustified in terms of items of a higherlayer.
(Batens, 1991: 1999)
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical modelsCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Decisions at the lower level derive directly from the items at the higher level.
Hierarchical models
• Scientific disciplines• Types of knowledge• Types of justification• Emp. Adequacy• Accuracy• Truth• (…)
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models
Cumulative (?)
Certainty (?)
Mp foundations (?)
Emp. Adequacy
Accuracy
Truth
(…)
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models: problemsCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Justificatory relations (ad infinitum)
Absolute certainties
Instrumental justificationHighest level
Humans cannot do it
Hierarchical models: problemsCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Justificatory relations (ad infinitum)
Absolute certainties
Instrumental justificationHighest level
Not possible(Disagreement)
Hierarchical models: problemsCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Justificatory relations (ad infinitum)
Absolute certainties
Instrumental justificationHighest level
Science | Prob. Solving
Scientific knowledge is, most of the time, incomplete.
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks Scientific knowledge is, most of the time, incomplete.
Contextual Problem Solving
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
{ , , , ( , ), }B B B B B Bproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Contextual Problem SolvingCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Context vs contex
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
“Even so, the idea that such anomalies aresomething that gravity research ought to bepursuing did not come fully to the forefront in theliterature until after the discovery of Neptune.”(Smith, 2014: 84)
And after that they were positively pursued as theywere regarded as extremely informative.
The resultCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Context vs contex
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
contradiction
Exp. gap
Context vs contex
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
contradiction
Exp. gap
Scientific KnowledgeCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Do we need a hierarchical model of Scientific Knowledge?
Scientific KnowledgeCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Do we need a hierarchical model of Scientific Knowledge?
No.
Scientific KnowledgeCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Knowledge?
Scientific KnowledgeCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Knowledge?
No (if we want it to be descriptive and explanatory)
Understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding?
Understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
However, while many different ways to attain and assess scientificunderstanding have been put forward by epistemologists of science, thereis still no unanimous view on how to characterize it and so, depending onthe particularities of the cases of understanding that are studied, differentphilosophical approaches have been presented.
Understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Understanding
Grasping
Understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Understanding
GraspingPutting together
Fine grained V +objects V Truth
Understanding (I)
Non-Explanatory Explanatory
(Khalifa, 2017: 2)Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Understanding (I)
(Khalifa, 2017: 2)Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Hierarchical models of understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Explanatory
Non-Explanatory
Hierarchical models of understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Factive
Moderately-Factive
Non-factive
Hierarchical models of understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Factive
Moderately-Factive
Non-factive
If Explanatory Factivity req.
Explanatory
But…?Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
{ , , , ( , ), }B B B B B Bproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Expertise (contextual)Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks(Ammon, 2017)
More understanding & tasksCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
(Recognizing): Identifying salient features of a particular object of study and generating an exemplar of such object guided only by the features previously selected.
(Providing): Presenting an exemplar of a particular object and explaining how the salient features of such an object are present in the provided exemplar.
(Afterlightining): Evaluating the soundness of the provided exemplar as well as the relevance of the elements previously identified as salient.
Elgin (2017), Martínez-Ordaz (2019)
Understanding Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
It has been claimed that the value of understanding seems to surpassthat of knowledge; concretely, that “knowledge may easily beacquired through the testimony of experts; understanding, bycontrast, seems more demanding and requires that an epistemicagent herself puts together several pieces of information, graspsconnections, can reason about causes, and this too suggests anadded value” (Baumberger, Beisbart & Brun, 2017: 3).
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Knowledge & understandingCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Knowledge
understanding
Explanatory
(factive condition)
Non-Explanatory
How to integrate?Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Explanatory
Non-Explanatory
Objectual Modal
Non-Explanatory
Hierarchical model of ScUnderstandingCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Possitiveidentification
Maximal understanding (Kelp, 2016)
Possitive+Negidentification
Afterlightening
Contextual (expertise)
(…)
Hierarchical model of ScUnderstandingCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Possitiveidentification
Maximal understanding (Kelp, 2016)
Possitive+Negidentification
Afterlightening
Contextual (expertise)
(…)
Coherence: consistency, compatibility, reinforcement. (Elsamahi, 2005)
What is it hierarchical about?Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Cumulative (?)
Certainty (?)
Mp foundations (?)
Emp. Adequacy
Accuracy
Truth
(…)
Neutrinos caseCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
1960-1970
Standard Solar Model (SSM)
Measuring Solar Neutrino’s flux
John Bahcall&Ray Davis’ Experiment
Prediction _ Observational outcome:+ 60% diff.
Neutrinos caseCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
1960-1970
Standard Solar Model (SSM)
Measuring Solar Neutrino’s flux
John Bahcall&Ray Davis’ Experiment
Prediction _ Observational outcome:+ 60% diff.
Contradiction betweentheory and observation
What was causing this?
Neutrinos caseCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
{ , , , ( , ), }A A A A A Aproblem participants certainties Rel x problem meth
Contextual Certainties:
• Neutrinos have no mass
• Neutrinos are of just one type
• Ar37 + Cl37 Neutrinos
• (…)
The problem(s)…Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Lack of understanding of
• What neutrinos are (they have mass and are of different types)• Cross sections Ar37 and Cl37• (…)
What happens to what scientists (thought to have) known and understood before?
Understanding neutrinos (I)Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
To understand• What neutrinos are (they have mass and are of different types)• Cross sections Ar37 and Cl37
Made a case of contradiction a case of incomplete information
What happens to what scientists knew and understood before?
Contradiction betweentheory and observation
Partial information about:
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
To understand• What neutrinos are (they have mass and are of different types)• Cross sections Ar37 and Cl37
Scientists stopped knowing what they thought to have been the properties of neutrinos…
What happens to what scientists knew and understood before?
Understanding neutrinos (II)
But, did they stop understanding their previous theory about solar neutrinos?
Understanding the caseCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Possitiveidentification
Possitive+Negidentification
Afterlightening
Contextual (expertise)
(…)
Maximal understanding (Kelp, 2016)
E NE NEO M
“Cumulative” Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Even when we discover that the theories that we previously knew andunderstood are false, we still ‘understand’ them (at least in the sense of stillbeing able to navigate some of the possibility space associated to the theoryin question)* (which does not happen with knowledge).
This is, what we, initially, thought to be objectual understanding becomesmodal understanding.
*A similar view can be found in [Le Bihan, 2017: 111-136]
Explanatory
Non-Explanatory
Objectual Modal
Non- Explanatory
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding?
Yes (very likely).
What is the role of scientific understanding when explaining the tolerance of defectiveness in the
sciences?
It could be explanatory as to why and how scientists tolerate certain defects in their day-to-day practice
Even if Knowledge…Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Understanding can accommodate KCan we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarksE
NE NEO M
and the loss of K (when discovering that something that was
thought to be the case, is false)…
Gracias!
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understandng?
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz
Preliminaries
ScUnderstandng
Knowledg &Un
Defectiveness
Final remarks
María del Rosario Martínez-Ordaz1
1 Institute for Philosophical Research-UNAMWith support of UNAM-PAPIIT projects
PAPIIT IN 403719 “Intensionalidad hasta el final: un nuevo plan para la relevancia lógica” and PAPIIT IG400219 “Conciencia y normatividad”
June 3, 2019UNAM
Can we have a hierarchical model of Scientific Understanding?
A response to Batens