Testing times: regularities in the historical sciences.
The historical sciences, such as geology, evolutionary biology, and archaeology, appear to have no means to test hypotheses. However, on closer examination, reasoning in the historical sciences relies upon regularities, regularities that can be tested. I outline the role of regularities in the historical sciences, and in the process, blur the distinction between the historical sciences and the experimental sciences: all sciences deploy theories about the world in their investigations.
Jeffares
Ben
B
Philosophy Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Building 9 (Coombs Building), Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. benjeffares@yahoo.co.nz
D001106:Archaeology; D001695:Biology; D005844:Geology; D019370:Observation; D012106:Research; D012586:Science / Q000379:methods*