normative
Virtue of taking hypotheses seriously
There is a virtue in taking a hypothesis seriously and pushing it as far as it can go even if it might be wrong — like caloric theory, which was hard to disprove yet enabled useful work including the original combustion engines — because science advances by working under assumptions and pushing them to their limits.
normativepending
Speaker
Chris OlahEvidence Quote
“it turns out that the original combustion engines were developed by people who believed in the caloric theory. So, I think there’s a virtue in taking hypotheses seriously even when they might be wrong.”
Created: 6/13/2026, 3:36:36 AM
My Notes
Loading notes...