Problems in Historical Epistemology

by Jerzy Kmita, Michael Turner (Translator)

Overview

It was only after I had finished this volume that I came across the book by Barry Bames, Scientific Knowledge and Sociologi- cal Theory (Routledge and Kegan Paul). I am in full ag, reement with certain ideas expounded in that book, although it also contains others that I must object to. I have decided to make some remarks about them at the beginning of my book, as I believe that they may prove useful by way of int, roduction to the English version of this volume. I hope that anyone who has professional reasons to turn his attention to this volume will have acquainted himself with Scientific Knowledge and Socio- logical Theory before he proceeds any further. I fully share Barnes' view that it is possible and desirable to undertake descrtptive-sociological investigations of scientific research. The main subjeot of this research should be the na- tural science, and, moreover, such findings in these sciences whose cognitive value has never been questioned by profession- als. These investigations must avoid becoming entangled in epistemologtical controversies, and through epi: stemo}. ogy in, phi- losophical controversies. They must not defend any of the contended theses and must not Hrterally, rely on evaluative pre- mises that have been questicmed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789401071369
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	10/12/2011
Series:	Synthese Library , #191
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1988
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.02(d)

Table of Contents

1 / Epistemological Cognition as Historical Cognition.- 1.1. Factographical Versus Theoretical Historicism.- 1.2. Framework Regularities.- 1.3. Assumptions of Historical Epistemology.- 1.4. The Relation Born by General Statements of Historical Epistemology on Methodological Norms and Directives.- Notes.- 2 / The Relation of Correspondence.- 2.1. Literal Reference.- 2.2. The Characteristics of Essentially Corrective (Strict) Correspondence.- 2.3. Remarks of Traditional Understandings of Correspondence.- 2.4. An Example of Essentially Corrective Correspondence, A Debate with the Views of P. K. Feyerabend.- Notes.- 3 / The Opposition of Theory and Experience.- 3.1. ‘Dogma of Empiricism’.- 3.2. Performed Action as the Essentially Corrected Correspondence Rendering of Undertaken Action.- 3.3 Two Kinds of Opposition of Theory and Experience: The Relative and the Absolute.- Notes.- 4 / The Duhem-Quine Thesis.- 4.1. The Comprehensive Instrumentalism of W. V. Quine.- 4.2. The Comprehensive Instrumentalism of W. V Quine from the Viewpoint of Historical Epistemology.- Notes.- 5 / Althusser’s Instrumentalism.- 5.1. A Marxist Variant of Theoretical Historicism Methodology.- 5.2. Althusser’s Conception of Historical Materialism.- 5.3. ‘Anti-Empiricism’ as a Consequence of the ‘Methodologically’ Instrumentalist Interpretation of Historical Materialism.- Notes.