Philosophy of Science

The impact of anthropology on Feyerabend’s ontology, epistemology and methodology

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Mohsen Donyavi 1
GholamHossein Moghaddam Heydari 2

1 PhD Student in Philosophy of Science and Technology, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies

2 Assiocite professor, Philosophy of Science and Technology, Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies, gmheidari@gmail.com

Abstract
Since the publication of Scientific Image, van Fraassen has criticized scientific realism and, instead, introduced constructive empiricism as an appropriate alternative. Adhering to the tenet of empiricism that ‘experience is our only source of information about the world’, he considered acquiring any knowledge of the unobservable level of the world as impossible. According to van Fraassen, the realistic belief in the (approximate) truth of scientific theories has no epistemic basis; and, in this case, he only allowed belief in the empirical adequacy of these theories. The present assay explains and examines the key elements of constructive empiricism and contrasts it with scientific realism. We will indicate that van Fraassen’s argumentation in rejecting realism and defending his position is not able to provide the necessary and sufficient justifications for the replacement of scientific realism with constructive empiricism

Keywords

reality
Anthropology
Pluralism
Relativism
Language
Mentality
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Philosophy of Science
Volume 6, Issue 11 - Serial Number 11
September 2016
Pages 37-52

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