Julien Ntendo Biasalambele S.J.
Librería Samer Atenea
Kálamo Books
Librería Elías (Asturias)
Librería Kolima (Madrid)
Librería Proteo (Málaga)
The ideal of justified knowledge as the only form worthy of science, and the notion of immediate rationality that it enshrines, have had a profound influence on epistemological thought over the past few centuries. But are these so-called ’crucial’ experiments the ultimate arbiters of rationality? Are the facts so stubborn that no theory can withstand them? Is induction beyond all suspicion? Is there a sure-fire defence against irrationalism and the ever-looming threat of scepticism? This book immerses the reader once more in the heated debate surrounding the demarcation criterion, the synchronic structure inherent in scientific endeavour, and the rational and continuous nature of its progress. It traces the contours of the Lakatos-Popper-Kuhn debates, which served as a springboard for Lakatosian methodology, beginning with a substantial overhaul of the Popperian criterion, with a view, it is believed, to shield it from Kuhn’s criticisms. This highlights the need for a historical-normative framework to ensure the historical reconstruction of scientific rationality. This reconstruction remains imperfect, taking place within a dialectic that integrates the internal and external histories of science.
