1. A fallible observation statement might be rejected and the fallible theory with which it clashes retained. 2. An observation statement is one made in response to certain stimuli and strongly verifiable by appeal to the occurrence of such stimuli. 3. Clearly, a list of observation statements acquired in such a way would form a very unsatisfactory basis for the respective generalizations. 4. Even this most basic of observation statements involves theory, and is fallible. 5. However, I do not wish to claim that it follows from this that observation statements should play no role in science. 6. I am not urging that all observation statements should be discarded because they are fallible. 7. So, as well as being probably infinite in length, the list of conditional observation statements was probably rather vague in content. 8. The claims of the falsificationist are seriously undermined by the fact that observation statements are theory-dependent and fallible. 9. The same goes for the inductive reasoning by means of which scientific knowledge is derived from the observation statements. 10. This example clearly illustrates the theory dependence and hence fallibility of observation statements. |