{"title":"2017 Wilkins–Bernal–Medawar Lecture: why philosophy of science matters to science","authors":"M. Massimi","doi":"10.1098/rsnr.2018.0054","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In an era where science is increasingly specialized, what is the value of interdisciplinary research? I argue that research across disciplinary boundaries plays a pivotal role in scientific inquiry, and it has a threefold value: it is exploratory; it is unifying; and it offers critical engagement. Philosophy of science is an interesting example of interdisciplinary research at the junction between the sciences and the humanities. What good can philosophy of science do for science? Despite anecdotal reports to the contrary, philosophy of science can in fact do important work for science. When it comes to critical engagement, I highlight what I call the social function of philosophy of science and I illustrate it with three examples taken from contemporary debates about evidence, progress and truth in science. A socially responsible philosophy of science—which is not afraid to speak up for evidence, progress and truth in science—best serves the needs of science in a tolerant, pluralist and democratic society.","PeriodicalId":49744,"journal":{"name":"Notes and Records-The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.4000,"publicationDate":"2018-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1098/rsnr.2018.0054","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Notes and Records-The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1098/rsnr.2018.0054","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
In an era where science is increasingly specialized, what is the value of interdisciplinary research? I argue that research across disciplinary boundaries plays a pivotal role in scientific inquiry, and it has a threefold value: it is exploratory; it is unifying; and it offers critical engagement. Philosophy of science is an interesting example of interdisciplinary research at the junction between the sciences and the humanities. What good can philosophy of science do for science? Despite anecdotal reports to the contrary, philosophy of science can in fact do important work for science. When it comes to critical engagement, I highlight what I call the social function of philosophy of science and I illustrate it with three examples taken from contemporary debates about evidence, progress and truth in science. A socially responsible philosophy of science—which is not afraid to speak up for evidence, progress and truth in science—best serves the needs of science in a tolerant, pluralist and democratic society.
期刊介绍:
Notes and Records is an international journal which publishes original research in the history of science, technology and medicine.
In addition to publishing peer-reviewed research articles in all areas of the history of science, technology and medicine, Notes and Records welcomes other forms of contribution including: research notes elucidating recent archival discoveries (in the collections of the Royal Society and elsewhere); news of research projects and online and other resources of interest to historians; essay reviews, on material relating primarily to the history of the Royal Society; and recollections or autobiographical accounts written by Fellows and others recording important moments in science from the recent past.