String Theory and the Scientific Method by Richard Dawid in 2013
I. Delimiting the unconceived
1. String theory
- 1.1 A brief introduction to string theory
- 1.2 The conflicting assessments of the current status of string theory
- 1.3 Three contextual arguments for the viability of string theory
2. The conceptual framework
- 2.1 The classical paradigm of theory assessment
- 2.2 Scientific underdetermination
3. The assessment of scientific underdetermination in string theory
- 3.1 Connections between theory assessment and scientific underdetermination
- 3.2 The framework for claims of limitations to scientific underdetermination
- 3.3 The scope of the three arguments
- 3.4 Non-empirical theory assessment as inference to the best explanation
II. A wider perspective
4. The dynamics of high energy physics
- 4.1 Two crucial principles in modern high energy physics
- 4.2 Theory dynamics beyond the current limits of empirical testability
- 4.3 Theory assessment in a new scientific environment
5. Scientific underdetermination in physics and beyond
- 5.1 The marginalization of the phenomena
- 5.2 The question of microphysical objects
- 5.3 Empirical confirmation in high energy physics
- 5.4 Non-empirical assessment of the Higgs theory
- 5.5 The confirmation of the top quark
- 5.6 A brief excursion into paleontology
- 5.7 A new understanding of theory assessment
III. Physics and truth
6. Final theory claims
- 6.1 Two final theory claims in string physics
- 6.2 Local and global limitations to scientific underdetermination
- 6.3 Structural uniqueness and its impact on the question of finality
- 6.4 The formal structure of final theory arguments
- 6.5 The case of anthropic reasoning
- 6.6 A new conception of scientific progress
7. An altered perspective on scientific realism
- 7.1 The layout of the debate
- 7.2 Unconceived alternatives
- 7.3 Scientific realism and non-empirical theory evaluation
- 7.4 Consistent structure realism
- 7.5 Whither physical theory?