Theories of Scientific Progress: An IntroductionWhat is the nature of scientific progress and what makes it possible? When we look back at the scientific theories of the past and compare them to the state of science today, there seems little doubt that we have made progress. But is it a continuous process which gradually incorporates past successes into present theories, or are entrenched theories overthrown by superior competitors in a revolutionary manner? |
Contents
Whewells tributaryriver image of scientific progress | 7 |
Brewster on how now to do history of science | 17 |
Mills objections to Whewells historicism | 19 |
Progress through reduction | 28 |
Lakatos version on the progress is incorporation thesis | 38 |
Progress and the asymptotic agreement of calculations | 51 |
Suggestions for further reading | 56 |
Progress as revolutionary overthrow | 63 |
Suggestions for further reading | 92 |
Descriptive theories of scientific progress | 95 |
Normative and descriptive theories | 97 |
Scientific progress and convergence upon truth | 98 |
Laudan on scientific progress as increasing problemsolving effectiveness | 120 |
Kitcher on conceptual progress and explanatory progress | 126 |
Normative naturalism | 130 |
Scientific progress and the theory of organic evolution | 140 |
IB Cohen on the identification of scientific revolutions | 65 |
Kuhns taxonomic criterion | 68 |
Toulmins ideals on natural order | 73 |
Ideological upheaval and revolutionary change | 75 |
Kuhns threebeat pattern | 76 |
Laudans reticulational model of scientific change | 82 |
Popper on progress through overthrowwithincorporation | 88 |
Suggestions for further reading | 152 |
Conclusion | 156 |
Notes | 160 |
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178 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accepted achieved anomalies application appraisal assumptions astronomy asymptotic agreement atomic axioms Bohr caloric theory causal claim cognitive aims Cohen concepts consilience convergence upon truth Copernicus criterion domain emphasized empirical equation evaluative practice evaluative standards evolutionary analogy experimental explain explanatory Feyerabend formulated history of science hypotheses Ibid Imre Lakatos incorporation increasing inductive insisted instance interpretation Karl Popper Kepler's kinetic molecular theory Kitcher Kuhn Kuhn's Lakatos Laudan laws Logic maintained method methodological rules Mill motion Musgrave Nagel Newton's Newtonian mechanics normative naturalism observed orbits paradigm particle Peirce phenomena Phil Philosophy of Science phlogiston phlogiston theory physics planet Popper predictive success principle problem-solving effectiveness problems quantum rational reconstruction reduction Rescher reticulational model retrograde motion revolutionary scientific progress scientific research program scientific revolutions scientific theories scientists sequence specific successive theories Tâ‚‚ taxonomic change theory of scientific theory-replacement thesis Thomas Kuhn Toulmin transition undesigned scope Whewell Whewell's William Whewell
References to this book
Agents, Structures and International Relations: Politics as Ontology Colin Wight Limited preview - 2006 |