ABSTRACT
Theassumptionswhichcolortheexpression ofatheoryareoftwosorts.Inthefirstplace, thestatementofatheoryreflectsthemethodologicalassumptionsofitsauthor.I t maybestated, forexample,inthelanguageoffunctionalism, orthejargonofcausality,orthesymbolicnotationofmathematics.Thus,onebiologistmight saythattheoperationoftheheartisfunctional forthemaintenanceofhumanlife.Oranother, thatstoppageoftheheartcausesdeath.And athirdmightstatethesameproposition:
whichcanberead,"Foranyperson,heisalivingpersonif,andonlyif,heisapersonwith anoperatingheart."Eachofourbiologistsis makingthesameassertionaboutanempirical covariation,buttheirmethodologicalassumptionsandhencetheirlanguagesdiffer;andwe maygettheimpressionthattheyaresaying quitedifferentthings.
