Text 1: Epistemologist Dr. Catherine Stone defends scientific realism. "Successful scientific theories accurately represent reality," Stone argues. "When physics predicts phenomena to extraordinary precision, the simplest explanation is that our theories correspond to actual structures in nature."
Text 2: Philosopher Dr. James Norton advocates instrumentalism. "Scientific success requires only empirical adequacy, not truth," Norton contends. "Theories are useful tools for prediction regardless of whether their unobservable entities—quarks, fields—exist. Predictive success doesn't guarantee metaphysical accuracy."
What aspect of scientific success do Stone and Norton interpret differently?
Whether predictions can be measured
Whether predictive accuracy implies accurate representation of reality
Whether scientists conduct experiments
Whether physics makes predictions at all
Correct Answer: B
Choice B is the correct answer. Stone argues successful prediction means theories "accurately represent reality." Norton argues success requires only "empirical adequacy"—prediction works regardless of underlying truth. Same success, different implications.
- Evidence: Stone: prediction implies correspondence; Norton: prediction doesn't imply existence.
- Reasoning: They disagree on what success tells us about reality.
- Conclusion: The interpretation of predictive accuracy is their dispute.
Choice A is incorrect because both accept measurement. Choice C is incorrect because experimentation isn't debated. Choice D is incorrect because both acknowledge predictions.