Philip Kitcher, "Believing Where We Cannot Prove"

1. According to Kitcher, the Creationist's arguments against evolutionary theory

• a) depend upon the traditional contrast between science and religion
• b) are designed to show that evolution is not a scientific theory
• c) fail to consider that scientific conclusions are not embraced by faith alone
• d) all of the above

2. According to Kitcher, science is

• a) a body of conclusively justified beliefs
• b) infallible
• c) a body of certain truths
• d) none of the above

3. According to Kitcher, science cannot achieve knowledge which is absolutely certain because

• a) scientific knowledge rests upon indirect arguments from observational evidence
• b) scientists are confined to a relatively small region of space and time
• c) scientists seek knowledge which goes beyond our observations and experience
• d) all of the above

4. According to Kitcher, since science is fallible and not certain we should

• a) become sceptics
• b) regard scientific claims as being arbitrary
• c) separate state and science
• d) give up the simple opposition of proof and faith

5. According to Kitcher, one of the main lessons to be learned from the history of Newtonian celestial mechanics is that

• a) we should not reject a theory simply because of one falsifying instance
• b) auxiliary hypotheses can be introduced to "save" a theory, but only if they are independently testable
• c) science can succeed only if it can fail
• d) none of the above

6. According to Kitcher, "good scientific theories" :

• a) consist of lots of different problem-solving strategies
• b) consist of only one problem solving strategy
• c) contain untestable auxiliary hypotheses
• d) none of the above

7. According to Kitcher, "non-scientific theories":

• a) employ a hodge-podge of problem solving stategies and methods
• b) restrict the range and domain of their methods
• c) fail to follow up on unresolved problems ; dismissing them as exceptional cases
• d) all of the above