Hempel, Carl

"We must separate the psychology of discovery from the logic of validation."

"Empirical evidence underdetermines theory choice; other factors also matter."

"The growth of knowledge involves both conceptual and evidential change."

"A theory is only genuinely scientific if it faces potential refutation."

"The explanatory virtues of theories must be explicitly defined and weighted."

"Conceptual analysis in philosophy illuminates the structure of scientific thought."

"A successful science must be self-aware about its own presuppositions."

"The problem of demarcation cannot be solved by a simple, universal criterion."

"Rational theory choice involves comparing competing frameworks of explanation."

"The explanatory reach of a theory is limited by its domain of application."

"Understanding nature requires integrating mathematical models with empirical observation."

"The semantics of theoretical terms depends on their role in the overall theory."

"A complete explanation must account for both what is the case and why it must be so."

"Scientific progress is measured by improved explanatory power and increased scope."

"The rationality of science is grounded in its commitment to evidence and logical rigor."

"A hypothesis that cannot be tested against reality is not genuinely scientific."

"The logic of explanation is independent of the psychology of understanding."

"Laws of nature ground possibilities and constrain what can actually occur."

"The distinction between law and accident is fundamental to scientific ontology."

"Explanation in social science faces unique challenges not found in natural science."

"A theory's coherence with other accepted theories is relevant to its plausibility."

"The criteria for good explanation may vary across different scientific disciplines."

"Understanding requires seeing particular phenomena as instances of general principles."

"The empirical significance of a statement depends on what would confirm or refute it."

"A scientific explanation must appeal to principles that hold in other cases as well."

"The explanatory order does not necessarily mirror the causal order of events."

"Methodological naturalism commits science to seeking natural explanations only."

"A theory cannot be rejected on the basis of a single recalcitrant observation."

"The unity of science requires conceptual bridges between different theoretical frameworks."

"Genuine understanding involves more than pattern recognition or curve-fitting."