Sailing through the Strait

Abstract

This chapter takes the reader back to where the book started: philosophy of science as metaphorically navigating between Scylla and Charybdis, between reductionism and antireductionism. At the outset, two related questions were raised. First, is it possible to steer clear of both hazards? Is there an alternative model of the nature and advancement of science that avoids the pitfalls of both stances and, in doing so, provides a fresh way of presenting science to an educated readership in a more realistic fashion? Second, how does science bring together the productive role of ignorance and the progressive growth of knowledge? The final chapter cashes out these two promissory notes. These problems have a common answer: black boxes. Specifically, the first four sections argue that the black-boxing strategy outlined throughout the book captures the advantages of both reductionism and antireductionism, while eschewing more troublesome implications. The final section addresses the interplay of ignorance and knowledge.