The flawed logic of theory-free natural kind reasoning
NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY, cilt.80, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 80
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2025.101219
- Dergi Adı: NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Psycinfo
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This paper critiques the theory-neutral Natural Kind Reasoning (NKR) in consciousness science. It demonstrates a methodological incompatibility arising from McKilliam's (2024) proposal: deploying Inference to the Best Explanation (IBE) within NKR directly contradicts the aspiration for theory-neutrality. I argue that IBE's inherent reliance on pre-existing theoretical frameworks undermines the possibility of a genuinely theory-neutral methodology for the science of consciousness.