"There is no justifiable prediction about how the hypothesis will hold up in the future; its degree of corroboration simply is a historical statement describing how severely the hypothesis has been tested in the past"
- Robert Nozick
About this Quote
This quote by Robert Nozick is emphasizing the value of understanding the past in order to make forecasts about the future. He is saying that there is no chance to precisely anticipate how a hypothesis will hold up in the future, but that the degree of corroboration of the hypothesis is a reflection of how it has been checked in the past. This indicates that the more a hypothesis has been evaluated and proven in the past, the most likely it is to hold up in the future. Therefore, it is very important to take a look at the past in order to make forecasts about the future. By comprehending the past, we can gain insight into how a hypothesis may hold up in the future.
About the Author