Journal of Philosophical Investigations

نوع مقاله : مقاله علمی- پژوهشی

نویسنده

Full Profesor of Philosophy of Science in Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas, UNAM, Mexico

چکیده

Our analysis of Popper’s philosophy of science focuses on his concepts of tradition and situational analysis. These concepts represent innovative Popperian contributions to a historical and hermeneutical turn in philosophy of science that most of his critics, especially Kuhn, fail to recognize. According to his historical view, Popper conceives sciences as a complex of traditions in continuous transformation and progress by means of rational discussion of theories. In order to grasp the rational progress of scientific traditions, Popper proposes an original method that he calls “situational analysis”. This hermeneutical method seeks to understand the concepts, hypotheses, actions, practices, controversies and products that scientists made to solve problems in their specific historical contexts to improve the truth content of theories. In addition to his historical and hermeneutical turn, Popper also inquired about the social and political conditions for the progress of scientific traditions by means of intersubjective criticism of theories and conjectures. According to him, the rational discussion of ideas requires, as necessary conditions, plurality of ideas, intellectual humility, and freedom of thought and communication that can only exist in an open and democratic society. With these considerations, we may say that in addition to a historical and hermeneutical turn, Popper also contributed to a social and political turn in the philosophy of science

کلیدواژه‌ها

عنوان مقاله [English]

Situational Analysis of Scientific Traditions: Popper´s hermeneutical and political turn in philosophy of science

نویسنده [English]

  • Ambrosio Velasco Gómez

Full Profesor of Philosophy of Science in Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas, UNAM, Mexico

چکیده [English]

Our analysis of Popper’s philosophy of science focuses on his concepts of tradition and situational analysis. These concepts represent innovative Popperian contributions to a historical and hermeneutical turn in philosophy of science that most of his critics, especially Kuhn, fail to recognize. According to his historical view, Popper conceives sciences as a complex of traditions in continuous transformation and progress by means of rational discussion of theories. In order to grasp the rational progress of scientific traditions, Popper proposes an original method that he calls “situational analysis”. This hermeneutical method seeks to understand the concepts, hypotheses, actions, practices, controversies and products that scientists made to solve problems in their specific historical contexts to improve the truth content of theories. In addition to his historical and hermeneutical turn, Popper also inquired about the social and political conditions for the progress of scientific traditions by means of intersubjective criticism of theories and conjectures. According to him, the rational discussion of ideas requires, as necessary conditions, plurality of ideas, intellectual humility, and freedom of thought and communication that can only exist in an open and democratic society. With these considerations, we may say that in addition to a historical and hermeneutical turn, Popper also contributed to a social and political turn in the philosophy of science

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • rational traditions
  • situational analysis
  • open society
  • political philosophy of science
Duhem, P. (1962). The Aim and Structure of Physical Theory. Atheneum.
Gadamer, H. G. (2004). Truth and Method. Continuum.
Kuhn, T. (1977). The essential tension and other essays. University of Chicago Press.
Kitcher, P. (2001). Science, Truth and Democracy. Oxford University Press.
Laudan, L. (1977). Progress and its Problems. University of California Press.
López Beltrán, C. & Velasco Gómez, A. (ed) (2013). Aproximaciones a la filosofía política de las ciencias. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
Neurath, O. (1983). Philosophical Papers 1913-1946. D. Reidel Publishing Co.
Oakeshott, M. (1967). Rationalism in Politics and Other Essays. Methuen.
Popper K. (1945). The Open Society and Its Enemies, Vol. II. Routledge and sons.
Popper, K. (1957). The Poverty of Historicism. Routledge and Keagan Paul.
Popper, K. (1963). Conjectures and Refutations. The growth of scientific Knowledge. Routledge and Keagan Paul.
Popper, K. (1968). The Logic of Scientific Discovery. Harper and Row Publishers.
Popper, K. (1972). Objective Knowledge. Oxford University Press.
Popper, K. (1977). Unended Quest. An intellectual autobiography. Collins.
Popper, K. (1994). The Myth of the Framework. A defense of rationality and science. Routledge.
Popper, K. (2007). Realism and the Aim of Science. Hutchinson.
Reisch, G. (2005). How the Cold War Transformed Philosophy of Science. To the icy slopes of logic. Cambridge University.
Shills, E. (1997). The Virtue of Civility. Liberty Fund.
Suárez Íñiguez, E. (Ed.) (2007). The Power of Argumentation, Rodopi.
Turner, S. (2003). Liberal Democracy 3.0. Sage Publications.
Velasco Gómez, A. (2004). Toward a Political Philosophy of Science. Philosophy Today. 48(5), 116-121.
CAPTCHA Image