The Principle of the Benefit of Doubt dictates that, whenever reasonably
possible, we interpret earlier-day scientists as referring to entities posited
by current science. Putnam has presented the principle as supplementary
to his Causal Theory of Reference in order to make this theory generally
applicable to scientific terms. The present paper argues that the principle
is of doubtful standing. In particular, it will be argued that the principle
lacks a justification and, indeed, is unjustifiable as it stands
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