Made a table to make the categories of theoretical criteria, virtues and vices, accessible in: What makes a good theory, and how do we make a theory good? doi.org/10.31234/osf... I make the case for us to think explicitly about theories and place desired characteristics into virtues and vices. 1/ - ThreadSky

olivia.science • 490 days ago

Made a table to make the categories of theoretical criteria, virtues and vices, accessible in: What makes a good theory, and how do we make a theory good?
https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8fxds

I make the case for us to think explicitly about theories and place desired characteristics into virtues and vices. 1/

1 / 4

Comments

graziul.bsky.social•490 days ago

This framework is incredible. Is there another corollary existing framework for determining the comparability of empric claims about the same phenomenon but based on different assumptions re: its attributes and their measurement? I feel like you could get there using your ideas here but I'm curious.

olivia.science•490 days ago

Oooh, so sweet and kind of you to say this! I think you're thinking of something I am working on, but let me check! Are you thinking of like essentially a metamethodology of how to relate a) theory/model/verbal description to b) formal form of a; and how to relate a to c) empirical data?

graziul.bsky.social•490 days ago

Yes, that's it! I tried to explore something similar ("a geometry of ontology") to identify and avoid unproductive research debates where assumptions about those links were incommensurate so no productive engagement would be possible. Shelved it years ago, but super excited to see what you develop!

olivia.science•490 days ago

So cool, we think so alike. I am collaborating with Mark Blokpoel and will do it with this (and more of course): https://github.com/markblokpoel/mathlib

graziul.bsky.social•490 days ago

Oh nice, looks like I have a rabbit hole to go down. Thanks!

mariemarm.bsky.social•490 days ago

Ooohh can you tell me more about the "and more of course" part? 🤭

This reminds me of a related project that Artem is brewing! https://kaznatcheev.github.io/

olivia.science•489 days ago

No, I can't. I haven't done the work yet!

moppety.bsky.social•490 days ago

👀

olivia.science•490 days ago

We can be transparent about what we think makes a good theory to aid in communicating with others. I further urge this to be done through what I call metatheoretical calculi, formal(isable) descriptions of our adjudication over theories, which deserve to be explored. 2/

olivia.science•490 days ago

An example of which can be found in Guest, O., & Martin, A. E. (2023). On logical inference over brains, behaviour, and artificial neural networks. Computational Brain & Behavior, 1-15.

Work I did with @andreaeyleen.bsky.social, which can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42113-022-00166-x 3/

olivia.science•490 days ago

To do this, I present my own general metatheoretical calculus (see Figs 1 & 2, and Table 1, above & in the paper: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/8fxds) through which we could analyse theory such that we can track interrelations, changes through time, and embeddings within broader families and fields. 4/

olivia.science•490 days ago

I also propose a zoomed-out ontology of potential characteristics, which we can further organise into virtues and vices, comprising:

1. Metaphysical commitment, the need to highlight what parts of theory are not under investigation, but are assumed, asserted, or essential. 5/

olivia.science•490 days ago

2. Discursive survival, the ability to be understood by interested non-bad actors, to withstand scrutiny within the intended (sub)field(s), and to negotiate the dialectical landscape thereof. 6/

olivia.science•490 days ago

3. Empirical interface, the potential to explicate the relationship between theory and observation, i.e., how observations relate to, and affect, theory and vice versa. 7/

anthonybecker.bsky.social•469 days ago

@minormobius.bsky.social

trashawaythrow.bsky.social•54 days ago

📌

orthunho.bsky.social•55 days ago

This is fucking dope

olivia.science•54 days ago

Thanks!

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply