Scientific Truth
Philosopher Ian Hacking makes the point that that there are many ways of looking at scientific truth, depending on the particular science involved. For example, he points out that botany, which he calls "basically a classificatory science," is very ...
Rationalism
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about rationalism, concluding that there have always been two driving forces behind it. On one hand, Professor Toulmin says, it comes from the desire to make theories as elegant as possible, which leads people to ma...
Descartes and the Greeks (Part Two)
Philosopher Stephen Toulmin talks about the origins of differing branches of philosophy. On the one hand, Professor Toulmin notes, there have been those like Plato and Descartes, who have wanted theoretical certainty above all else. On the other han...
Theoreticians and Experimenters
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the differences in approach and skill sets between those who practice science primarily as theoreticians, and others who are primarily experimenters. Professor Hacking points out that theoreticians get most of the...