Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge: Volume 4: Proceedings of the International Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science, London, 1965
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Imre LakatosEditor: Alan Musgrave
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1970-10-23
ISBN: 0521096235
Number of pages: 292
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Book Reviews of Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge: Volume 4: Proceedings of the International Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science, London, 1965
Book Review: For and against normal science
Summary: 5 Stars
Kuhn's "Logic of Discovery or Psychology of Research?" is a beautiful criticism of Popper. I. Criteria of demarcation should be based on the nature of normal science rather than revolutionary science (bold hypotheses, etc.). For example, astrology cannot be dismissed as unfalsifiable; in fact, it repeatedly made categorically false predictions, which were recognised as such. The reason why astrology is not a science is that it cannot digest these anomalies through puzzle solving. IV. Instead, to understand the development of science we must understand the mind of the scientist. "Knowing what scientists value, we may hope to understand what problems they will undertake and what choices they will make in particular circumstances of conflict." (p. 21)
Everyone else hates Kuhn's "normal science." Popper thinks it is "dangerous" because it is dogmatic. Feyrabend thinks it is "boring", "pedestrian", "anti-humanitarian", etc. Toulmin thinks it is indistinguishable from revolutionary science. Watkins attacks it as a demarcation criteria since it would seem to include biblical scholarship as a science (where the puzzles of normal research would be to explain away apparent inconsistencies in the Bible); Feyrabend, similarly, because it would seem to include organised crime. The former type of criticisms are not addressed directly by Kuhn in his reply, except for his observation that history is on his side (thus, regardless of what philosophers may think about it, to reject normal science is to reject the vast bulk of all science throughout history). The latter examples are dismissed by Kuhn on the grounds that "no problems are thereby created" since his description concerned theories dealing with natural phenomena (p. 245).
Much time is spent discussing Kuhn's alleged relativism, incommensurability, etc. Most contributors are too fanatically attached to the idea of science as super-knowledge to be able to argue constructively: anti-Kuhn criticism and rhetoric ranges from ridiculous and absurd (such as Popper's accusation that Kuhn is using logic (sic!)) to various forms of misrepresentation of Kuhn's theory and their (to these people) philosophically unacceptable implications. This debate is rather uninteresting not only because it lacks objectivity and reason but also because it is concerned only with whether science deserves its pedestal, and not with understanding actual science, which is what Kuhn emphasised initially and what one wishes the book would have been about.
Lakatos' paper where he introduces his methodology of research programmes is very interesting, but would be even better if its perspective was reversed from pro-Popper & anti-Kuhn to anti-Popper & pro-Kuhn. His model plainly has much in common with Kuhn's. Kuhn points to some parallels: "hard core, work in the protective belt, and degenerative phase are close parallels for my paradigms, normal science, and crisis" (p. 256); one may add also that heuristic in Lakatos' model roughly corresponds to the ability to support puzzle-based normal science. At the same time, Lakatos presents conclusive refutations not only of "naive falsificationism" but also of the Popperian outlook altogether, e.g. when he embraces science with inconsistent foundations.
Summary of Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge: Volume 4: Proceedings of the International Colloquium in the Philosophy of Science, London, 1965
Two books have been particularly influential in contemporary philosophy of science: Karl R. Popper's Logic of Scientific Discovery, and Thomas S. Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Both agree upon the importance of revolutions in science, but differ about the role of criticism in science's revolutionary growth. This volume arose out of a symposium on Kuhn's work, with Popper in the chair, at an international colloquium held in London in 1965. The book begins with Kuhn's statement of his position followed by seven essays offering criticism and analysis, and finally by Kuhn's reply. The book will interest senior undergraduates and graduate students of the philosophy and history of science, as well as professional philosophers, philosophically inclined scientists, and some psychologists and sociologists.General Books
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