Theory Assessment in the Absence of Empirical Evidence: A Philosophical Inquiry into an Increasingly Pressing Problem in Modern Physics

Abstract

The characteristics of theoretical statements in modern physics make that there is an increasing amount of energy needed in order to evaluate those statements by using empirical data. An amount which is very hard or maybe even impossible to provide. Therefore it is not easy or not possible to investigate and support the statements with empirical evidence, while this is an important part of conventional scientific methods. Without the important input of empirical data, science, according to these conventional methods, is strictly speaking not possible. In this Bachelor's thesis, solutions to this problem will be explored. One of the possible solutions, a change in the way in which science is normally done in the form of non-empirical theory assessment, turns out to be promising, but also unreliable and uncertain. Therefore this solution is investigated in more detail. It will be concluded that although a solution based on empirical theory assessment will probably always be the most desirable (but also unrealistic for the problem in modern physics), non-empirical theory assessment might actually provide a better, more plausible, solution than you would initially expect.