Preface ........................................................ ix
Introduction .................................................... 1
PART I DELIMITING THE UNCONCEIVED ............................... 5
1 String theory ................................................ 9
1.1 A brief introduction to string theory ................... 9
1.2 The conflicting assessments of the current status of
string theory .......................................... 19
1.3 Three contextual arguments for the viability of
string theory .......................................... 30
2 The conceptual framework .................................... 39
2.1 The classical paradigm of theory assessment ............ 39
2.2 Scientific underdetermination .......................... 44
3 The assessment of scientific underdetermination in string
theory ...................................................... 50
3.1 Connections between theory assessment and scientific
underdetermination ..................................... 50
3.2 The framework for claims of limitations to scientific
underdetermination ..................................... 59
3.3 The scope of the three arguments ....................... 62
3.4 Non-empirical theory assessment as inference to the
best explanation ....................................... 64
3.5 A Bayesian analysis .................................... 68
PART II A WIDER PERSPECTIVE ................................... 73
4 The dynamics of high energy physics ......................... 75
4.1 Two crucial principles in modern high energy physics ... 75
4.2 Theory dynamics beyond the current limits of empirical
testability ............................................ 82
4.3 Theory assessment in a new scientific environment ...... 94
5 Scientific underdetermination in physics and beyond ......... 97
5.1 The marginalization of the phenomena ................... 97
5.2 The question of microphysical objects ................. 103
5.3 Empirical confirmation in high energy physics ......... 109
5.4 Non-empirical assessment of the Higgs theory .......... 112
5.5 The confirmation of the top quark ..................... 115
5.6 A brief excursion into palaeontology .................. 118
5.7 A new understanding of theory assessment .............. 123
PART III PHYSICS AND TRUTH .................................... 127
6 Final theory claims ........................................ 129
6.1 Two final theory claims in string physics ............. 129
6.2 Local and global limitations to scientific
underdetermination .................................... 134
6.3 Structural uniqueness and its impact on the question
of finality ........................................... 141
6.4 The formal structure of final theory arguments ........ 147
6.5 The case of anthropic reasoning ....................... 149
6.6 A new conception of scientific progress ............... 152
6.7 The end of science? ................................... 155
7 An altered perspective on scientific realism ............... 157
7.1 The layout of the debate .............................. 157
7.2 Unconceived alternatives .............................. 164
7.3 Scientific realism and non-empirical theory
evaluation ............................................ 169
7.4 Consistent structure realism .......................... 174
7.5 Whither physical theory? .............................. 189
References .................................................... 191
Index ......................................................... 198
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