HU3700: Exam 1
Fall, 2003
Answer the following questions. Read all directions and questions carefully. Illegible
answers will receive no credit.
Part I. Fill-in-the-blank: For each of the following sentences, find the item in the attached list
that best completes the sentence. Note that not all items in the list will be used. Some items may
be used to answer more than one question. Give your answers by writing the letters
corresponding to the correct answers to the questions—1. s, 2. mm, etc. Write your answers in
the space provided at the end of the exam questions. (2 points each)
1. A(n) ________ is a statement that gives (all or part of) the meaning of a theoretical term by
using the pretheoretical terms of the theory
2. In the ________ the earth is the center of the universe.
3. A(n) ________ term of a theory is one that refer to an empirical phenomenon with which we
are already familiar (e.g., “volume,” “temperature,” “mass”)
4. A statement of the form “If conditions of type F occurs, then conditions of type G are
(highly) likely to occur” is a(n) ________.
5. ________ is the view that the meaning of every scientific term must be specifiable by
identifying a definite testing operation that provides a criterion for its application.
6. A(n) ________ argument is an argument that is intended to be valid.
7. A(n) ________ principle is a theoretical principle that does not use any pretheoretical terms.
8. The ________ is that when two operations can be applied for the definition of the same term,
they must yield the same results.
9. A(n) ________ of a hypothesis is the proposition that, under certain experimental or observational
conditions, certain results will follow.
10. A(n) argument is ________ if it is inconceivable that the premises are all true and, at the
same time, the conclusion is false.
11. In ________ explanations, statements of the form “Whenever conditions of kind F occur,
conditions of kind G will always occur” are involved.
12. A(n) ________ principle of a theory links the pretheoretical terms with the theoretical terms
of the theory.
13. A(n) ________ is a statement that has the outward appearance of a scientific hypothesis but
fails the condition of empirical testability in principle.
14. A(n) ________ definition is the specification of a testing operation that provides a criterion for the
application of a term (e.g., rules of measurement)
15. According to (the) ________, hypotheses are invented to solve problems or answer questions
rather than derived from indiscriminately collected data.
16. A(n) ________ is an idea about how to explain some fact or set of facts
17. A(n) ________ hypothesis is a hypothesis other than the test hypothesis which is assumed to
be true and is needed to derive the test implication
18. A(n) ________ argument is not intended to be valid.
19. A(n) ________ is a statement of the form, “Whenever conditions of kind F occur, conditions
of kind G will always occur” that is not an accidental generalization.
20. A hypothesis is ________ if there is some conceivable observation or experiment the results
of which would determine the truth or falsity of the hypothesis’s test implication.
Part II. Answer two questions in Set A and two questions in Set B below (for a total of 4
questions). Indicate clearly which questions you are answering. Make your answers concise but
complete. Avoid irrelevant discussion. Say exactly what you mean. Do not expect the grader to
interpret your writing or to “read between the lines.” Write your answers on separate sheets.
(15 points each)
Set A
1. What is an auxiliary hypothesis? Give an example. What is a crucial experiment? Why does
Hempel believe that “strictly construed, a crucial experiment is impossible in science”? Be
specific.
2. What is deductive reasoning? What is inductive reasoning? According to Hempel, in what
ways is deductive reasoning involved in testing hypotheses? Give an example. According to
Hempel, in what ways is inductive reasoning involved in testing hypotheses? Give an
example. Explain how each of your examples works.
3. What does Hempel mean by the distinction between deriving hypotheses from facts and
inventing hypotheses to explain the facts? Give an example to illustrate the difference. Which
method of arriving at hypotheses does Hempel believe more accurately describes how
scientists carry out their investigations?
Set B
4. What are deductive-nomological explanations? What are probabilistic explanations?
Compare and contrast the two types of explanations, and give an example of each.
5. What is a scientific theory? How do scientific theories differ from other types of scientific
laws? Why, according to Hempel, do we need theories in science? Be specific.
6. What was the Copernican Revolution? What was so revolutionary about it? In what major
ways did the Copernican system differ from the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic system? In what
ways was the Copernican system modified by the later work of Brahe and Kepler? Be
specific.
Below is the list of terms for Part I. Note that the items are in alphabetical order.
A.
B.
C.
D.
accidental generalization
ad hoc hypothesis
annular parallax
Aristotelian-Ptolemaic
system
E. Aristotle
F. auxiliary
G. Brahe, Tycho
H. bridge
I. celestial sphere
J. confirmation
K. contextual
L. Copernican revolution
M. Copernicus, Nicolaus
N. counterfactual
O. crucial test/experiment
P. deductive
Q. deductive-nomological
R. descriptive
S. determinism
T. disconfirmation
U. empirical
V. epicycle
W. experiment
X. explicit
Y. extension
Z. Galileo Galilei
AA. hypothesis
BB. inductive
CC. intension
DD. internal
EE. interpretative
sentence
FF. invalid
GG. Kepler, Johannes
HH. law (for a D-N
explanation)
II. law of probabilistic
form
JJ. narrow inductivist
conception of
scientific
inquiry
KK. natural science
LL. Newton, Isaac
MM. non-empirical
NN. observable
OO. observation
PP. operational
QQ. operationism
RR. partial
SS. pretheoretical
TT. probabilistic laws
UU. probability
VV. pseudohypothesis
WW. pseudo-science
XX. Ptolemy
YY. relative frequency
ZZ. requirement of
consistency
AAA. requirement of
explanatory
relevance
BBB. requirement of
testability
CCC. scientific explanation
DDD. scientific method
EEE. simplicity
FFF. statistical
GGG. stipulative
HHH. subjunctive
III. sublunar sphere
JJJ. systematic import
KKK. test implication
LLL. testability
MMM.
testable in
principle
NNN. theoretical entity
OOO. theoretical term
PPP. theory
QQQ. valid
RRR. wider inductivist
conception
of scientific
inquiry
Part I Answers:
1.
6.
11.
16.
2.
7.
12.
17.
3.
8.
13.
18.
4.
9.
14.
19.
5.
10.
15.
20.