Hempel, Carl

"A complete science would explain why the fundamental laws are as they are."

"Observational terms and theoretical terms blur together in mature science."

"The role of mathematics in science is to represent structural relationships precisely."

"Scientific realism assumes that our best theories describe reality as it actually is."

"A theory's simplicity and elegance are aesthetically pleasing but not truth-guaranteeing."

"Falsifiability is a criterion of empirical significance, not truth."

"Historical research shows that the development of science is deeply contingent."

"We should be cautious about making sweeping claims about the nature of science itself."

"The explanatory power of a theory must be evaluated relative to its alternatives."

"Rational criticism of scientific theories requires explicit standards of evaluation."

"The unity of science is an aspiration rather than an accomplished fact."

"Logical analysis reveals the structure of scientific reasoning."

"A theory that explains everything explains nothing in particular."

"Scientific communities maintain their standards through mutual criticism and review."

"The semantics of scientific language determines what counts as genuine knowledge."

"Objectivity in science is achieved through intersubjectivity and public testing."

"Philosophy of science must be informed by actual scientific practice."

"The burden of proof lies with those who challenge established scientific findings."

"A successful prediction can occur by accident without genuine understanding."

"The explicandum must be clearly distinguished from the explicans in any analysis."

"Laws of nature are not mere generalizations but have counterfactual force."

"Scientific explanation often requires appeal to underlying mechanisms."

"The role of symmetry principles in physics has profound philosophical implications."

"Understanding requires grasping connections between concepts, not just memorizing facts."

"Deductive-nomological explanation is the paradigm case of scientific understanding."

"Inductive reasoning, while useful, can never provide absolute certainty."

"The problem of other minds is not unique to science; it pervades all knowledge."

"A theory's predictive success does not guarantee its explanatory adequacy."

"Explanation and understanding are intimately connected but not identical concepts."

"The semantics of scientific theories determines their truth conditions."