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It is clear that theory rejection exists in the history of science. Numerous examples can be found in the history of science. In [[Theory Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-2015)]], we provided theories that explain the potential reasons behind theory rejection. The earliest example of theory change can be traced back to the Aristotelian-medieval community. Theories in the community were constantly replaced until the end of the 17th century. [[CiteRef::Barseghyan (2015)|p. 210]] For example, judicial astrology was removed from the Aristotelian-medieval community because it contradicts the idea of free will developed by Christian scientists. Theories like geocentrism were replaced by heliocentrism developed by scientists like Nicolaus Copernicus. Even further, by circa 1700, the entire Aristotelian system was replaced by Newtonian and Cartesian physics.[[CiteRef::Barseghyan (2015)|p. 210]] Another typical example of theory rejection is the rejection of the phlogiston theory. The editors of [[Weisberg and Needham and Hendry (2016)]] stated that after Georg Ernst Stahl introduced the theory, the theory had undergone several modifications to make the existence of phlogiston plausible.[[CiteRef::Weisberg and Needham and Hendry (2016)]] However, during the Chemical Revolution, as Antoine Lavoisier reviewed several experimental results that contradict the existence of phlogiston, he removed phlogiston from the scientific mosaic at the time, in order to simplify those experimental results.[[CiteRef::Weisberg and Needham and Hendry (2016)]]|Parent Topic=Mechanism of Scientific Change|Authors List=Hakob Barseghyan,
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|QuestionSubject=How do theories become '''rejected'''? What is the mechanism of '''theory rejection'''?
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|Description=Theory rejection is a necessary part of [[Mechanism of Scientific Change|scientific change]]. Any theory of scientific change requires a means to explain how a theory becomes rejected.
|Formulated Year=2015
|Prehistory=The question about the rejection of theories has been an important one throughout the history of science. Many philosophers of science have attempted to provide an answer to the question of how scientific theories get rejected. Both rationalists and empiricists thought that empirical theories can be rejected or disproved in an incontrovertible manner. Believing that there is an absolute method of science, they contended that theories are assessed by this method, and if they fail to satisfy the method’s requirements, they are conclusively rejected.[[CiteRef::Laudan (1970a)]] [[Immanuel Kant]] echoed their beliefs. He held that scientific theories (especially Newtonian mechanics) are synthetic ''a priori''. As their knowledge is gained independently of experience but is nevertheless synthetic, theories can never be rejected as no empirical evidence can contradict them.[[CiteRef::Kant (1781)]]
Building on the ideas of his predecessors, the later [[Larry Laudan]] proposed the reticulated model in his book [[Laudan (1984a)|''Science and Values'']]. '''Reticulated model''' posits that the values, methodologies, and theories of a given scientific community at a particular time mutually influence each other. It is through the interaction of epistemic values and scientific methodologies that theories are modified or rejected. Therefore, for Laudan, the expectations of the contingent, historical scientific community and its methodologies lead to the rejection of theories.[[CiteRef::Laudan (1984a)]] Laudan’s ideas are arguably significant preludes to the foundations of scientonomy.
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|Acceptance Indicators=This is when the community accepted its first answer to this question, [[Theory Rejection theorem (Barseghyan-2015)]], which indicates that the question is itself legitimate.
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