Modification:Sciento-2023-0002

Accept new formulations of the first law for theories, norms, and questions that are in tune with the formulation of the first law. Also accept new formulations of the respective rejection theorems - theory rejection, norm rejection, and question rejection.

The modification was suggested to Scientonomy community by Aayu Pandey on 28 December 2023.1 The modification was accepted on 22 January 2024.

Preamble

There are currently several problems with the current formulations of the first laws for theories, methods, and questions, as well as the respective rejection theorems. New formulations for these laws and theorems are suggested to ensure their uniformity and the validity of their deductions.

Modification

Theories To Accept

• The First Law for Questions (Barseghyan-Levesley-2021): An accepted question remains accepted in the mosaic unless replaced by other elements.

• The First Law for Norms (Barseghyan-Pandey-2023): An employed norm remains employed in the mosaic unless replaced by other elements.

• The First Law for Theories (Barseghyan-Pandey-2023): An accepted theory remains accepted in the mosaic unless replaced by other elements.

• Theory Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-Pandey-2023): A theory becomes rejected when other elements that are incompatible with the theory become part of the mosaic.

• Norm Rejection theorem (Pandey-2023): A norm becomes rejected when other elements that are incompatible with the norm become part of the mosaic.

• Question Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-Levesley-Pandey-2023): A question becomes rejected when other elements that are incompatible with the question become part of the mosaic.

Theories To Reject

• Theory Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-2015): A theory becomes rejected only when other theories that are incompatible with the theory become accepted.
• Method Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-2015): A method ceases to be employed only when other methods that are incompatible with the method become employed.
• Question Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-Levesley-2021): A question becomes rejected when other elements that are incompatible with the question become accepted.
• The First Law for Theories (Barseghyan-2015): An accepted theory remains accepted unless replaced by other theories.
• The First Law for Methods (Barseghyan-2015): An employed method remains employed unless replaced by other methods.

Questions Answered

This modification attempts to answer the following question(s):

• Mechanism of Theory Rejection: How do theories become rejected? What is the mechanism of theory rejection?
• Mechanism of Question Rejection: How do questions become rejected? What is the mechanism of question rejection?
• Mechanism of Scientific Inertia for Theories: What makes the theories of an agent's mosaic continue to remain in the mosaic?
• Mechanism of Scientific Inertia for Normative Theories: What makes the normative theories of an agent's mosaic continue to remain in the mosaic?
• Mechanism of Scientific Inertia for Questions: What makes the questions of an agent's mosaic continue to remain in the mosaic?
• Mechanism of Normative Theory Rejection: How do normative theories become rejected? What is the mechanism of normative theory rejection?

Verdict

The modification was accepted on 22 January 2024. During the 2024 workshop, the bulk of the discussion centered around the inclusion of the first law for norms and norm rejection theorem in the set of formulations to be accepted. Paul Patton contended that norm employment in general had not been demonstrated to be lawful beyond method employment, and our basic formulations should instead concern norm acceptance, which is patently lawful. He argued that the formulations should be modified to pertain either to methods only or to norm acceptance. It was decided that if the community were to remain uncomfortable with accepting Pandey’s new formulations, a revote would likely also need to be taken on Rawleigh’s Sciento-2022-0002, given that the issue of norm employment was also highlighted in discussions of that modification. After extensive discussion, Barseghyan suggested that the first law for norms would only apply to situations where behavior was norm-guided to begin with, which would skirt the difficulty that faces even behavioural psychologists of determining whether human behaviour in general is lawful. The majority of the community was comfortable with this workaround, and the modification was ultimately accepted with over 2/3rds majority assenting, with 11/14 votes to accept (although 1 voter voted to reject the modification and 2 voted to keep it open).

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