philosophy of science dead? realism vs. empiricism (Introduction)

by dhw, Saturday, September 10, 2016, 13:20 (2777 days ago) @ David Turell

David's comment: Note the bold about the Higgs. I am an empiricist. I fully understand that a quark is known by its manifestations, not as a quark itself. Multiverse theory is philosophic foolishness.
dhw: First of all, I find the term “realist” totally misleading. There is nothing “realistic” about untestable theories. Why not contrast “empiricists” with “theorists”? 
DAVID: I'm simply presenting a famous philosopher. Those are his preferred terms.-And I am simply saying why I find the famous philosopher's use of “realist” misleading.-Dhw: Secondly, how can you possibly be an empiricist when you constantly attribute every aspect of the observable and unobservable world to a speculative and untestable hypothesis you call God? If “multiverse theory” is philosophic foolishness, then so is God - but I disagree with you on both counts. I would also add the hypothesis that there is one universe which has existed for ever, transforming energy and matter in a never-ending process. Pure speculation. Theory, not realism, and like the God and multiverse hypotheses, the exact opposite of empiricism.-For some reason, you have ignored this completely and saltated to an article about particles.-Dhw: As for the bold about the Higgs, it merely confirms what we have now agreed: Higgs completes one segment of a pattern, but we don't know the overall pattern.-DAVID: I'm glad you finally recognize it.-That's strange. When I wrote: “We have agreed that the Higgs completed a segment of a pattern”, you replied “No we haven't.” And when I wrote: “...it may be that the Standard Model is woefully amiss”, you wrote: “It is not woefully amiss” and then reproduced quotes saying “the standard model must break down somewhere”, and the discovery of the Higgs “hints at the sickness within the standard model” - as if somehow they supported you instead of me! I then asked: “Why all this vehement opposition to statements of mine which you then proceed to echo?” But I'm glad to finally recognize that you have finally recognized that your disagreement was in fact an agreement.