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Philosophy of Sciences

2014 year, number 2

The simplicity principle in physics: methodology, the general and the particular

A.L. Simanov
Institute of philosophy and law SB RAS, Novosibirsk
Keywords: philosophy, methodology, simplicity principle, verification, falsification, observability

Abstract

The paper starts to consider the methodological role of the simplicity principle in physics. The ultimate goal of the research is to show that in modern physics due to the evolution of observability in its classical version (immediate observability) into mediated one the content of the simplicity principle changes: its use gets at least a two-stage type. First, initial theses of the verified theory must be simple in the sense of «economy in thinking». Second, mediated results of this theory must be simple in the sense of theoretical, logical and empirical verification.