A coherentist conception of ad hoc hypotheses

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Science
• Epistemology

Background:

• Defining ad hoc hypotheses is crucial for scientific integrity.
• Existing views include lack of empirical support, unifiedness, or subjectivity.
• These definitions face conceptual and descriptive challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• Critically review existing accounts of ad hoc hypotheses.
• Introduce and defend a novel Coherentist Conception of Ad hocness.
• Explore the conceptual and descriptive advantages of this new framework.

Main Methods:

• Critical analysis of existing philosophical accounts of ad hoc hypotheses.
• Development of a coherentist framework for understanding ad hocness.
• Conceptual argumentation and exploration of descriptive adequacy.

Main Results:

• Existing views on ad hoc hypotheses are found to be wanting.
• The Coherentist Conception of Ad hocness offers a unified and empirically grounded alternative.
• This conception better captures the nuances of hypothesis amendment in science.

Conclusions:

• Ad hocness is best understood through a coherentist lens.
• The Coherentist Conception provides a robust framework for evaluating hypotheses.
• This approach enhances our understanding of scientific theory development and justification.