It is a test of true theories not only to account for but to predict phenomena.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A true theory must not only explain known phenomena but also predict new ones.
- In plain terms
- Good theories explain and forecast what we haven't yet seen.
- What can you take from it?
- Test theories by their predictive power.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a prediction valuable?
- How to handle failed predictions?
Another view
Some useful theories may lack immediate predictive success.
More from William Whewell
The catastrophist constructs theories, the uniformitarian demolishes them.
Permalink to quote #10 In art, truth is a means to an end; in science, it is the only end.
Permalink to quote #9 Man is the interpreter of nature, science the right interpretation.
Permalink to quote #8
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