[WP3] Evidence in science

WP leaders: José Díez (UB) and Carl Hoefer (ICREA – UB)

Empirical evidence is supposed to ground scientific objectivity. This raises two questions: first, is empirical evidence objective (and if so, to what extent)? The concern here is whether all empirical evidence is perspectival, or biased, or theory laden, and how this affects the justificational role of evidence. Second, in which way may objective evidential data justify theoretical claims that go beyond the evidence? This problem of ampliative inference affects three main functions of theoretical claims in scientific practice: representation, prediction and explanation. It also bears on the question of whether theoretical postulates should be taken as (approximately) true of the world. These issues have practical relevance, as disputes over evidence for the effectiveness of vaccine and mask mandates in the COVID pandemic witness.