This Philosophy & Science Club
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Session 3: Scientific Theory
February 28, 2026 ยท Carl G. Hempel, Philosophy of Natural Science, chs. 3 & 6
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Opened with student presentations, this session focused on the topic of scientific theories and scientific hypotheses. The discussion considered what separates a tentative hypothesis from an established theory, whether the difference is one of kind or of degree, and how a hypothesis may come to be accepted as a theory through sustained testing and confirmation. The post-session assignment addressed the same theme. Students were asked to write a summary examining the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory, drawing on Hempel's text, the Semmelweis case discussed in the previous session, and examples of their own.