Abstract
To the Editor: As a philosopher of science and medicine, I am interested in the correspondence about Dr. Fitzgerald's article on alternative health care (March 22 issue).1 In reply to her critics Dr. Fitzgerald states, “Perhaps most important, the alternative-health people … hold that an idea is valid until disproved. Scientists, I maintain, generally hold that an idea is doubtful until proved. This marks a fundamental difference in mode of thought between orthodox science and heterodox, or alternative, systems.” Would Dr. Fitzgerald regard as a scientist a person who viewed propositions inferred by general induction as true until such time.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 265-266 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | New England Journal of Medicine |
| Volume | 311 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 26 1984 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Philosophy of Science. / Sharkey, Paul W.; Fitzgerald, Faith T.
In: New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 311, No. 4, 26.07.1984, p. 265-266.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Philosophy of Science
AU - Sharkey, Paul W.
AU - Fitzgerald, Faith T
PY - 1984/7/26
Y1 - 1984/7/26
N2 - To the Editor: As a philosopher of science and medicine, I am interested in the correspondence about Dr. Fitzgerald's article on alternative health care (March 22 issue).1 In reply to her critics Dr. Fitzgerald states, “Perhaps most important, the alternative-health people … hold that an idea is valid until disproved. Scientists, I maintain, generally hold that an idea is doubtful until proved. This marks a fundamental difference in mode of thought between orthodox science and heterodox, or alternative, systems.” Would Dr. Fitzgerald regard as a scientist a person who viewed propositions inferred by general induction as true until such time.
AB - To the Editor: As a philosopher of science and medicine, I am interested in the correspondence about Dr. Fitzgerald's article on alternative health care (March 22 issue).1 In reply to her critics Dr. Fitzgerald states, “Perhaps most important, the alternative-health people … hold that an idea is valid until disproved. Scientists, I maintain, generally hold that an idea is doubtful until proved. This marks a fundamental difference in mode of thought between orthodox science and heterodox, or alternative, systems.” Would Dr. Fitzgerald regard as a scientist a person who viewed propositions inferred by general induction as true until such time.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0021771358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0021771358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1056/NEJM198407263110428
DO - 10.1056/NEJM198407263110428
M3 - Letter
C2 - 6738637
AN - SCOPUS:0021771358
VL - 311
SP - 265
EP - 266
JO - New England Journal of Medicine
JF - New England Journal of Medicine
SN - 0028-4793
IS - 4
ER -