WHY IS BEAUTY A ROAD TO THE TRUTH?
In: Cognitive Structures in Scientific InquirySearch for other papers by Paul Thagard in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
This paper discusses Theo Kuipers’ account of beauty and truth. It challenges Kuipers’ psychological account of how scientists come to appreciate beautiful theories, as well as his attempt to justify the use of aesthetic criteria on the basis of a “meta-induction.” I propose an alternative psychological/philosophical account based on emotional coherence.