What is the underdetermination of theory by evidence and how does it relate to scientific realism?

What is the underdetermination of theory by evidence and how does it relate to scientific realism?

The underdetermination of theory by evidence refers to the idea that there can be multiple theories or explanations that are equally consistent with the available evidence. In other words, the evidence alone is not sufficient to uniquely determine which theory is true or most accurate.

This concept is relevant to scientific realism because it challenges the realist view that scientific theories provide a true and accurate representation of the world. If there are multiple theories that can account for the same evidence, it suggests that our theories are not necessarily capturing the ultimate truth about the world, but rather are just one possible interpretation among many.

Scientific realists argue that despite the underdetermination, there is still progress in science and that theories can approximate the truth. They believe that even though evidence may not uniquely determine a theory, there are still criteria such as explanatory power, predictive success, and coherence that can guide us towards more accurate theories. However, critics of scientific realism point to the underdetermination as evidence that our theories are ultimately just human constructs and may not accurately represent the underlying reality.