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scientific-progress
The chapter addresses the notion of scientific progress, including the rejection of the idea that science necessarily attains absolute truth, referencing thinkers like Karl Popper and Larry Laudan.
1 chapter across 1 book
Epistemology: An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (2003)Nicholas Rescher
chapter 10 “Truth Rationality and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge.” See also Hans Albert, Traktat über kritische Vernunft (Tübingen: Mohr, 1975), and Robert Almeder, Blind Realism (Savage, MD : Rowman & Littlefield, 1992).
Chapter 10 of Nicholas Rescher's "Epistemology" explores the relationship between truth, rationality, and the progressive development of scientific knowledge. It critically examines skepticism, the nature of certainty, and the epistemic challenges in justifying scientific claims, drawing on historical and contemporary philosophical debates. The chapter also discusses the role of rationality and language in knowledge acquisition and the evolution of scientific theories.