Loading...

Roy Bhaskar on Scientific Rationality and Progress

Poostforush, Maryam | 2021

402 Viewed
  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 53914 (42)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Philosophy of Science
  6. Advisor(s): Taqavi, Mostafa
  7. Abstract:
  8. Bhaskar, one of the pioneers of critical realism, pursues two aspects in his presentation in order to solve complex problems in the philosophy of science. The first aspect is highlighting and emphasizing the need of philosophy of science for ontology and paying attention to intransitive objects. The second aspect is acknowledging the social nature of science and the consideration of transitive objects of science as materials of knowledge, or in other words, the material causes of knowledge. What is done in this thesis, after a detailed description of Bhaskar's critical realism, is to examine the three categories of rationality, progress, and scientific realism in his view. With a layered description of the world, he considers science consist in moving to the underlying layers and gaining knowledge of mechanisms. Accordingly, we will show that with this approach, as well as his attention to the experimental activity in science, not only takes a position against relativism, but also both defends the possibility of progress in science and be able to explain progress during scientific revolutions. In addition, we use Bhaskar's belief in the fallibility of cognition as a prelude to explaining the contingency of progress in his view, as well as a critique of existing approaches to progress. Finally, relying on Bhaskar's attention to the importance of experiment, we will claim that he changes the framework of the realism and anti-realism debate
  9. Keywords:
  10. Roy Bhaskar ; Rationality ; Relativism ; Realism ; Critical Realism ; Progress Idea ; Scientific Progress ; Cognition Fallibility

 Digital Object List

 Bookmark

...see more