THE ROLE OF CONSISTENCY IN EMPIRICAL SCIENCE

Any inconsistent theory whose underlying logic is classical encompasses all the sentences of its own language. As it denies everything it asserts, it is useless for explaining or predicting anything. Nevertheless, paraconsistent logic has shown that it is possible to live with contradictions and sti...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Monterín, Jesús
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2015
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP)
Repository:Manuscrito (Online)
Language:Portuguese
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br:article/8642021
Online Access:https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ojs/index.php/manuscrito/article/view/8642021
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Consistency. Cosmology. Contradiction. Logic. Physics. Relativity.
Description
Summary:Any inconsistent theory whose underlying logic is classical encompasses all the sentences of its own language. As it denies everything it asserts, it is useless for explaining or predicting anything. Nevertheless, paraconsistent logic has shown that it is possible to live with contradictions and still avoid the collapse of the theory. The main point of this paper is to show that even if it is formally possible to isolate the contradictions and to live with them, this cohabitation is neither desired by working scientists not desirable for the progress of science. Several cases from the recent history of physics and cosmology are analyzed.

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