Research On Patrick Suppes's Philosophy Of Science

Patrick Suppes is a famous American logician,psychologist,one of the most influential philosophers of Science in the second half of the 20th century.He has studied many fields,such as physics,logic,measurement theory,probability theory,linguistics,psychology and neuroscience,computer education technology,etc.,as well as the problem of philosophy of science.A systematic study of suppes's philosophy of science is carried out in this paper,which mainly involves four core issues:the view of scientific theory,the representation and invariance of measurement theory,probabilistic metaphysics,brain experiments and non-empirical problems.Moreover,the basic path of Suppes's research has been analyzed from the methodological level,that is,the combination of formal methods and empirical practices.Chapter 1 involves logical reconstruction of scientific theory—Suppes's view of scientific theory.Based on the re-examination of the "accepted views"of logical empiricism,the research approach of axiomatization of set theory was proposed by Suppes.He insisted that the basic unit of meta-theoretical analysis is not a statement but a model,then the scientific theory was regarded as a set of models,and "to axiomatize a theory is to define a set-theoretical predicate".This formalization method not only provides a correct analysis path for the research of representation and invariance of scientific structures,but also avoids the lack of semantics in formal calculations.It makes it possible for scientific theories to be clearly articulated in the first-order logic range,and the complexity of the theories of empirical science is truly reflected.Chapter 2 deals with the representation and invariance of measurement theory—Suppes's philosophy of measurement.Based on the criticism of two research approaches of classical measurement theory:focusing on the representability of empirical values and focusing on the type and transformation of measurement scale,the representational measurement theory was proposed by Suppes through the integration of numerical and empirical interpretation,in order to realize the internal connection between theory and practice,empirical knowledge and mathematical expression.He defined measurement as a relational structure by axiomatic method of set theory,two basic problems of measurement theory—"representation problem" and"invariance problem" were studied,as well as the classification of measurement scale.The combination of relational systems and numerical systems was completed by Suppes.The research not only involves the conditions that the empirical qualitative system satisfy in numerical representation,but also covers the mathematical properties of relational systems such as scale types and scale transformations.It realizes the integration of classical measurement theory and promotes the development of measurement theory.Chapter 3 includes probability metaphysics—Suppes's idea of probability Based on the query of a series of tenets of "new traditional metaphysics",such as determinism,certainty,completeness,and the unity of scientific knowledge,"probabilistic metaphysics" was established by Suppes to deal with epistemological issues.He demonstrated the basic propositions of "the nature of the world is probability from three aspects:probability and randomness,probability and causality,probability and uncertainty,and further discussed the"statistical decision theory".After pointing out three problems in Bayesian rational theory:axiomatization,inaccurate measurement,and expansion of the conceptual framework,Suppes further explained the theory of rational decision-making.Chapter 4 researches on brain experiments and non-empirical problems—Suppes's philosophy of mind(brain).Taking three extensible problems as examples:the calculation and representation of brain cognitive activities,the psychological mechanism of" Bayesian Prior ",and "habits" based on rational choices,the research on the neuropsychological basis of non-empirical problems was studies.In terms of brain cognitive activity,a series of simulation experiments were conducted by Suppes through modern imaging technology,to explore the invariance of brain representation and language components.To solve the problem of weak psychological foundation of "Bayesian Prior ",the problem was transformed into the truth calculation of empirical statements,then the truth value calculation was transformed into probability estimation,to answer the psychological mechanism of" Bayesian Prior.In terms of "habit",Suppes re-explained and explored it based on the development of neuroscience and cognitive science,emphasizing the fundamental significance of habit as to rational choice,that is,under the limitation of habit,we can maximize our rational choice.Chapter 5 is about formal methods and experimental practices—Suppes's methodology.Based on the context of science and philosophy of science,this paper evaluates the relevance of the concept and methodology.The formal methods proposed by Suppes unifies richness and diversity of science,makes philosophy of science closer to the strict standards of scientific disciplines,and avoids rigidity of new positivism.For experimental practice,Suppes emphasized the significant role of experimental theory in science.He insisted that philosophers must learn the experimental procedures in order to connect the basic theory with the corresponding original experimental data to build a correct theoretical system.The conclusion makes an overall evaluation on the research of suppes's philosophy of science.Focusing on "experience",Suppes insists on pragmatism,probability and anti-reductionism,which are perfectly integrated into the research of philosophy of science.As a true pluralist philosopher,Suppes opened up a new theoretical horizon for us to understand science,and also provided methodological enlightenment for the pluralistic development of scientific philosophy.