Re: falsify
- From: "John of Aix" <j.murphy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 09:27:33 +0200
Reinhard Mick wrote:
Hello!
Yesterday I had a kind of discussion about the meaning of the verb "to
falsify".
In my first language the same word ("falsifizieren") only means to
proof that a theory is not true (and therefore has to be abandoned).
It is - to my knowledge - used in this scientific context only and has
a similar meaning as "to disprove" - like measuring of the precession
of the perihelion of mercury "falsified"(?) the newtonian theory of
mechanics.
I just translated it directly in a slightly different context and was
misunderstood completely, because to falsify, as I was told, has the
meaning of intentionally making a false document, e.g. printing false
money or false passports.
My question, which I could not resolve by my dictionaries or the
internet is: Can "falsify" also have the meaning of "disprove", at
least in a scientific context?
In my opinion, no. One 'contradicts' or 'disproves' a theory. 'Falsify'
is only used int he sense you give above.
.
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