The lecture examines the influence of theory on observations in the natural sciences, providing an answer to the question: is there theory-independent observation? The phenomenon known as “conceptual surplus”, which indicates that concepts always express more or less than the things they denote, represented the main problem in translating empirical observations into theoretical statements, which also represented a barrier to arriving at the absolutely evident, certain – “real” knowledge that, according to some beliefs, natural science should provide. Despite the failure experienced by the project of logical empiricism in order to carry out a rational reconstruction of “ideal” science, the imperative of evidence as a guarantee of scientificity, which is reflected in the naive expulsion of all vagueness from science, is still present in contemporary science and forms the backbone of realism – anti-realism debate. These problems will be examined primarily through the analysis of Duhem and Quine – Duhem hypothesis, but that analysis will include, in addition to the views of Duhem and Quine, one of their critics, as well as Kuhn, Nagel, and Popper. Bringing them into relation with the problems of theoretical representationalism, the lecture will demonstrate the following: 1. The position that all observations are “theory-driven” cannot be rejected by postulating “independent observation”. 2. Criticisms of Duhem’s thesis are not valid – isolated hypotheses are as difficult to refute as to confirm. The semantic gap between empirical and theoretical statements cannot be ignored, even with the help of functionalism. Based on the three mentioned points, the paper claims that “vagueness” in science is its constitutive element, and that as such, it does not represent any obstacle to science that should be removed at all costs. That is, the demands for absolute evidence, objectivity and banishing “vagueness” from science do more harm to science itself than they contribute to its development.

Aleksandar Ostojić is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Economics, University of Novi Sad, as well as an affiliated researcher at the Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory in Belgrade. His areas of interest are philosophy of Renaissance, philosophy of science and philosophy of education. He is the recipient of the “Dr. Zoran Đinđić” award for the best master’s thesis in philosophical or sociological sciences in the territory of the RS, which he received in 2019, as well as the award for “best young researcher” at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad in the field of social sciences, awarded in 2021.

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