What Makes One Idea Better Than Another?

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Benjamin Davies’s avatar
Benjamin DaviesOP​·​#5246​·​

When we reject explanation B in favour of explanation A, there must be some property of the explanations that comprehensively distinguishes A as better than B.

Criticized2*
Benjamin Davies’s avatar
Benjamin DaviesOP​·​#5247​·​

One fatal flaw in B is enough to reject B. A does not also need to possess some opposite property that makes it the winner.

Criticism of #5246
Benjamin Davies’s avatar
Benjamin DaviesOP​·​#5248​·​

A surviving the criticism does not show that A is progress over B. We could reject one error while moving even further from reality.

Criticism of #5247Criticized1*
Benjamin Davies’s avatar
Benjamin DaviesOP​·​#5251​·​

Explanation A surviving criticism does not establish that explanation A is objective progress over explanation B. But the claim that one fatal flaw in explanation B is enough to reject explanation B does not depend on explanation A being objective progress. Rejecting explanation B and establishing explanation A as objective progress are separate claims.

Criticism of #5248