If it’s really better or more “true” on some level
But if that’s no a predictive level, then instrumentalism is inconsistent. it is saying that all other non-predictive
theories should be rejected for being non-predictive, but that it is itself somehow an exception. This is of course parallel to the flaw in Logical Positivism.
If I had such a persuasive argument, naturally it would already have persuaded me, but my point is that it doesn’t need to persuade people who already agree with it—just the rest of us.
And once you’ve self-modified into an instrumentalist, I guess there are other arguments that will now persuade you—for example, that this hypothetical underlying layer of “reality” has no extra predictive power (at least, I think that’s what shiminux finds persuasive.)
But if that’s no a predictive level, then instrumentalism is inconsistent. it is saying that all other non-predictive theories should be rejected for being non-predictive, but that it is itself somehow an exception. This is of course parallel to the flaw in Logical Positivism.
Well, I suppose all it would need to peruade is people who don’t already believe it …
More seriously, you’ll have to ask shiminux, because I, as a realist, anticipate this test failing, so naturally I can’t explain why it would succeed.
Huh? I don’t see why the ability to convince people who don’t care about consistency is something that should sway me.
If I had such a persuasive argument, naturally it would already have persuaded me, but my point is that it doesn’t need to persuade people who already agree with it—just the rest of us.
And once you’ve self-modified into an instrumentalist, I guess there are other arguments that will now persuade you—for example, that this hypothetical underlying layer of “reality” has no extra predictive power (at least, I think that’s what shiminux finds persuasive.)